The president of Hertha Berlin, Kay Bernstein, died this Tuesday at the age of 43, as reported by the German club, which has not revealed the causes of death. Bernstein, who came from the world of Hertha ultra fans, had been in charge of the club since June 2022.
"The entire club, its organizations and its workers, are dismayed. The entire Hertha family is grieving and accompanying Kay's relatives in these difficult moments," says a statement from the capital club, currently in the second Bundesliga.
Bernstein founded the Harlekins Berlin bar in 1998, an ultra group that was temporarily banned from the stadium on three separate occasions. His arrival to the presidency came after the resignation of Werner Gegenbauer after the 2021/2022 season Hertha avoided relegation to second place at the last moment.
In the assembly on June 26, 2022, Bernstein won by surprise over Frank Steffel, former candidate for mayor of Berlin for the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) by 1,670 votes against 1,280, becoming the first ultra to become president of a german club In 2023, with Bernstein as president, Hertha was bottom and could not avoid relegation to the second Bundesliga.
The head of Sports of the city state of Berlin, Iris Spranger, has expressed her condolences for Bernstein's death. "I am shocked by the death of Hertha president Kay Bernstein. My thoughts are now with her family and friends to whom I want to express my sincere condolences," she commented.
Bernstein initially trained as an electrical installer and later worked as an industrial mechanic. He also developed his career as an events manager. Already as president, he defended the permanence of rule 50 1 and spoke out against an absolute ban on fireworks.
