Hertha Berlin fired Tayfun Korkut as coach on Sunday in a desperate attempt to stave off a humiliating Bundesliga relegation for the ambitious club.
Hertha said in a statement that assistant coach Ilija Aračić was also leaving the club “with immediate effect” and that a successor to Korkut will be announced “as soon as this matter of personnel has been finally clarified.”
Korkut had been given every chance to turn around Hertha’s fortunes after he replaced club favourite Pal Dardai last November, but Saturday’s 2-0 loss at Borussia Mönchengladbach was the team’s fifth consecutive defeat and it stretched their winless run in the league to nine games.
It also left the “Old Lady” second last in the division, in a direct relegation spot, with eight rounds remaining.
Hertha haven’t won a competitive game in 2022 and they were also knocked out of the German Cup by city rival Union Berlin in January.
Korkut, a former Turkey international, is not solely to blame for Hertha’s problems, which may explain how he remained coach despite the long run of bad results. But Hertha again felt the need for a fresh start if they are to somehow claw their way out of danger.
“We are currently in a relegation place,” Hertha general manager Fredi Bobic said. “There are still eight games left to get the necessary points for staying up. We will do everything we can to achieve this, and with this decision we want to help everyone involved to be even more focused on the situation and we are counting on the positive effects of a fresh start.”
Korkut’s successor will be the team’s seventh coach since investor Lars Windhorst began backing the club in June 2019. Windhorst has seen no return on his investment of 374 million euros in Hertha and has publicly expressed disappointment while criticizing club leadership for its failures.
Windhorst dreamed of turning Hertha into one of Europe’s best, but instead has seen the club lurch from one crisis, scandal or low point to another. Hertha have fought against relegation in each of the three seasons since Windhorst got involved through his Tennor investments group.
Bobic said recently that Windhorst’s money is “gone,” spent mostly on offsetting losses, including those caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Last week was another tumultuous one at the club, with sporting director Arne Friedrich departing and a power struggle breaking out between Windhorst and the Hertha management. Friedrich announced in February his intention to leave at the end of the season, but on Monday he said that he felt for several months that he wasn’t able “to do justice to my duties as sporting director.”
Tennor spokesman Andreas Fritzenkötter said on Wednesday that changes are needed at the club’s next general meeting in May. He also said a documentary about the club was stopped after a “management member described Mr. Windhorst as unsympathetic, and the group made fun of Windhorst.”
The club reacted with a statement saying that the comments not only damaged Hertha but also the Tennor Group.
Meanwhile, the team is floundering, too. Hertha is the worst side in the Bundesliga since the second half of the season began.
Hertha play Hoffenheim next, at home on Saturday. Hoffenheim held Bayern Munich 1-1 on Saturday and are fighting for Champions League qualification. Hertha then visit third-place Bayer Leverkusen, before what is sure to be a highly charged city derby against Union Berlin.
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