Crucial season awaits Die Alte Dame

A look ahead to Hertha Berlin’s 2025/26 season – covering transfers, pre-season preparations, predicted line-ups and predictions for the upcoming season. 

In 2024/25, Hertha finished 11th in the 2. Bundesliga – an underwhelming result on paper, but one that marked a significant turnaround after a bleak first half of the season under Cristian Fiél. The arrival of Stefan Leitl in mid-February sparked a revival, with Hertha losing just 3 of their final 12 matches. Leitl transformed a struggling side into a more organised, disciplined unit, giving fans renewed hope for a promotion push this time around. 

However, Leitl appears to be striving for more than just hoping, as he directly stated his ambitions for the campaign back in May: “Our goal can only be to do everything we can to achieve promotion to the Bundesliga”. 

Heading into their third consecutive season in the second tier, Hertha know just how difficult a promotion challenge can be. They’ve finished no higher than ninth in either of their last two campaigns. Yet, with Leitl at the helm – a coach who previously led Greuther Fürth to the Bundesliga – there is cautious optimism that this time could be different.

Transfers

Hertha have managed to keep their core squad largely intact during the transfer window thus ensuring a degree of stability, something that will surely please Leitl and fans alike as they look towards the upcoming season. They have made some smart signings whilst addressing high priority areas for reinforcements, such as experienced midfielders Paul Seguin and Leon Jensen, forward Sebastian Grønning and centre-back Niklas Kolbe. 

The most exciting addition so far seems to be that of Maurice Krattenmacher on loan from Bayern Munich – the young midfielder arrives highly rated by many after impressing for SSV Ulm last season. Having already impressed in his friendly outings so far, Hertha fans have a right to be excited about what he could bring to the team this season. 

Hertha’s search for a new strike partner to support Fabian Reese has been no secret – and that pursuit has finally come to an end with the arrival of Dawid Kownacki on loan from Werder Bremen. The 28-year-old brings proven goal-scoring pedigree at this level, having netted 13 league goals for Fortuna Düsseldorf last season. He could well be a crucial piece in Hertha’s push for promotion.

Despite all the positive incomings, there have been key departures going the other way. Regular starters such as Jonjoe Kenny, Derry Scherhant and Florian Niederlechner have all moved on this summer. 

But perhaps the biggest blow was the sale of academy product Ibrahim Maza to Bayer Leverkusen. Maza, who ended the season with 5 goals and 3 assists, had long looked to be destined for bigger things. His exit leaves a creative void that will be tough to fill.

Uncertainty off the pitch?

As well as playing personnel, Hertha are still on the hunt for a new managing director. Despite links to big names such as Ralf Rangnick and Sven Mislintat, nothing has come to fruition yet with those reports eventually dismissed. For now, the task still lies in the hands of sporting director Benjamin Weber, who must juggle transfer planning with solving structural issues behind the scenes.

Financially, the club remains under pressure. A looming €40 million bond repayment, due in November 2025, hangs around like a dark cloud. While efforts have been made to reduce debt and cut losses, Hertha’s margin for error remains slim.

Preparations for the new season

Hertha began their pre-season preparations in June, securing friendly wins over Ludwigsfelder (3-0), BFC Dynamo (6-0), and TSV Havelse (3-2). They then travelled to Kitzbühel, Austria, for a training camp, where they suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat to Danish side Brøndby before bouncing back with a 2-1 win against Austria Vienna. Unfortunately, things aren’t going quite as smooth as Hertha would like with injuries and a shortage of fit players forcing Leitl to abandon his preferred system in friendlies, complicating their early preparations.

Fans will be hoping some of the academy prospects who featured at the training camp can step up this season – especially if injuries arise similar to the current situation during pre-season. Young talents like Boris Mamuzah Lum, Maik Afri Akumu and highly coveted 15-year-old Kennet Eichhorn were among those looking to catch Stefan Leitl’s eye in Austria.

Their final friendly before the new season commences takes place on Friday 25th July, as they travel to Scottish Premiership outfit Motherwell. 

Predicted starting line-up

3-4-2-1: Ernst (GK) – Dardai, Leistner, Kolbe – Eitschberger, Demme, Jensen, Karbownik – Krattenmacher, Cuisance – Reese 

Stefan Leitl appears likely to continue with the 3-4-2-1 formation he has relied on throughout pre-season, largely due to current squad limitations. However, with the recent arrival of Dawid Kownacki, there’s a strong possibility he may revert to his preferred 3-5-2 system once the seven-time Poland international is fully integrated. Once fit, Deyovaisio Zeefuik could also come in to replace Eitschberger on the right side.

Predictions for the upcoming season

Despite some off-field uncertainty and gaps in the squad, Hertha remain contenders in what is expected to be a wide-open promotion race. Much of their success will hinge on staying injury-free, continuing to buy into Leitl’s ethos and getting the best out of key players like Fabian Reese – who finished last season in fine form. On paper at least, the squad looks strong enough to target a top-five finish. 

Hertha kick off their campaign with a tough away fixture against Schalke 04 on Friday 2nd August. This will be followed by their first home game a week later against fellow promotion hopefuls Karlsruher SC – a match dubbed the Freundschaftsspiel, reflecting the long-standing friendship between the two clubs.