Hertha Berlin’s dismissal of Fredi Bobic is being discussed by lawyers as the club has been accused of terminating his contract without notice and providing a lower sum of money than contractually obliged, Bild reports.
Bobic was sacked in January just two hours after Hertha lost 2-0 to city rivals Union Berlin. The sacking came quickly but wasn’t too much of a shock as the club had to make a statement following a run of bad results and flirting with possible relegation.
Hertha beat Borussia Monchengladbach 4-1 last weekend and secured their first win in three months. However, off-the-field issues are only getting worse.
Bild reports that Bobic had his contract terminated without any notice. As per the sporting director’s contract, he should receive a six-digit sum in the case of early separation. The sum offered is said to be less than Bobic was expecting.
What’s more, in the case of terminating a contract without notice, there have to be clear reasons or serious misconduct. Hertha bosses accuse Bobic of bad behaviour which could be harmful to the club. This is in relation to Bobic telling a reporter: “If you ask again, you’ll get a scrub.”
However, Bobic it’s also reported that he had to go for economical reasons and the separation was “not a knee-jerk reaction” but “well thought out”.
In the end, this all comes down to money. According to the contract, Bobic is entitled to a fixed, severance payment upon dismissal. It is possible that club president KayBernstein wants to reduce this sum with the help of the termination without notice.
Hertha is also struggling to supply financial documentation for league licensing for the 2023/24 season. A few million saved about Bobic’s expense could help a lot.
GGFN | Jamie Allen