Hertha investor Lars Windhorst has for the first time commented on the allegations made against him regarding the alleged employment of an Israeli private detective agency.
“The story in the Financial Times is nonsense. If you looked at the situation at the time logically, it wouldn’t have made any sense at all,” Windhorst defended himself in a statement in the Facebook group “Hertha BSC Fans”.
For a covert operation he was given in the FT-report was accused, there would have been no reason at all, Windhorst continued. “I had my opinion of the former president and my criticism of Werner Gegenbauer’s management style at the latest when I appeared in picture TV in April 2021 and in the following in several interviews as well as via the social media openly and recognizable.”
In view of the “critical overall situation at Hertha at the time and ever-increasing criticism of the club’s management among the members”, his public statements “received the widest attention, both in the media and among the fans”.
In addition, Windhorst criticized the actions of the current Hertha club management after the report became known. “I take note of the decision of the Hertha club management to postpone a press conference and to have Berlin lawyers investigate. However, it is extremely regrettable that no attempt was made to clarify open questions in a joint internal discussion. Instead, as in the past worked with piercings and indiscretions in the press,” said the 45-year-old.
All of this has “nothing to do with new beginnings and respect,” wrote Windhorst. Hertha had previously announced that the allegations against the investor would “be processed and assessed by a law firm”.
In the report, Windhorst is accused of hiring an Israeli private detective agency with the aim of launching a targeted campaign to overthrow Gegenbauer. Opposite to SPOX and GOAL, Windhorst’s spokesman Andreas Fritzenkötter had already described the allegations as “complete nonsense” on Thursday.
