Reports: Hertha to send off coach Schwarz after debacle at Schalke

Hertha Berlin head coach Sandro Schwarz is pictured before the German Bundesliga soccer match between FC Schalke 04 and Hertha BSC at Veltins Arena. David Inderlied/dpa

Hertha Berlin have decided to sack head coach Sandro Schwarz after they were beaten 5-2 by Schalke on Friday and pushed to the bottom of the Bundesliga table, according to media reports.

Daily Bild and sports magazine Kicker said on Sunday the capital club would part ways with Schwarz and bring back former manager Pal Dardai.

If confirmed, it would be Dardai’s third term with Hertha having coached the side from February 2015 to June 2019 and then for 10 months in 2021.

Hertha are currently bottom of the Bundesliga table on 22 points, four behind VfL Bochum, the first team outside the relegation zone.

Schwarz arrived at Hertha surrounded by optimism, but his side have had a very negative run this season. The massive defeat to also relegation battling Schalke marked a sixth consecutive winless match.

It was also Hertha’s 11th consecutive away winless run, in a run which includes nine defeats. Overall, the club have won just one away game – against Augsburg – since the start of the season.

For years, Hertha have been through turbulent times and have been consistently candidates for relegation. Last season, they only avoided going to the second division after defeating SV Hamburg in the play-offs.

The club has also experienced financial turmoil from former investor Lars Windhorst. Hertha recently reached an agreement with new investor 777 Partners, with the Florida-based investment firm acquiring Windhorst’s 64.7 percent stake.