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Hertha BSC have announced the founding of a girls’ and women’s department at the club, through a partnership with FC Hertha 03 Zehlendorf. The Old Lady will receive seven girls’ and two women’s teams from Zehlendorf, who already assist Hertha with the development of academy talents. As of 1st July 2023, a total of nine girls’ and women’s teams will compete in Berliner Fußball-Verband (BFV), Nordostdeutscher Fußballverband (NOFV) and German FA (DFB) competitions under the Hertha badge. All three associations have approved this move. “We’re very pleased to have nine girls’ and women’s teams join us as of this summer and to watch them compete in Hertha colours. This cooperation between two Herthas is a very exciting, but also serious, process,” said club president Kay Bernstein. He added, “We want to help strengthen the already burgeoning girls’ and women’s football scene in Berlin. This partnership is an important step towards the founding of our own girls’ and women’s football department, but we still have plenty of hard work ahead of us, which we’re taking a meticulous and focused approach to. It’s an honour to be able to continue the excellent work that Hertha 03 have done so far.”
“A big step in the right direction”
Kamyar Niroumand, president of FC Hertha 03 Zehlendorf, said: “We approached Hertha BSC with this idea after seeing how well we had worked together over many years in the area of youth development. Unfortunately, we do not have the capabilities to continue to assist with the growth and professionalisation of our competitive teams, and see Hertha BSC as an optimal partner in this area. This is a big step in the right direction for the girls and women playing for Hertha 03 and I have great confidence that Hertha BSC will continue to value and implement our philosophies and culture.”
Sofian Chahed, former player and youth team coach at Hertha BSC, as well as former head coach of Turbine Potsdam said: “The contract being signed gives us the necessary security to start planning for the coming season, which we will be able to start with our own girls’ and women’s teams. With these teams, we want to work successfully in the long-term and support and further develop the depth and quality of girls’ and women’s football in Berlin. Our sustainable performance culture will show the players how you can balance school, studies, education or a career with performance-based football.”
Individual matches and training sessions at Olympiapark
In the coming months, the cooperation between both clubs will continue. In the future, all players will benefit from the personal, infrastructural and financial support of the Bundesliga club. The U17 girls team and women’s first team can already take advantage of performance diagnostics and weekly athletic training at the Olympiapark. The women are currently fighting to stay in the Women’s Regionalliga Nord-Ost and the U17s will be competing in the B-Juniorinnen-Bundesliga next season. The third of the three performance teams, the U15s, will play in the highest division of their age group, the C-Juniorinnen Berlin-Liga (association league). Starting next season, individual matches and training sessions will be held at the Olympiapark, but most sessions and games of the nine teams will still take place at the Ernst-Reuter-Sportfeld in Zehlendorf for the time being. Meanwhile, Hertha BSC and the Senate of Berlin are working on a positive and integrated solution for training and game opportunities at the Olympic Park.
