“There’s life in the old dog yet!”

Ecstasy, relief, joy – all the emotions were on show after full time, as Hertha BSC secured their Bundesliga status with a 2-0 (2-1 agg.) win in the relegation playoff against HSV. The team left everything on the pitch, fought as one for the flag we bear on our chest and secured one of the most important victories in the recent history of the club. “I’m so proud of the lads. We were poor in the first game and needed to turn everything around in this cauldron of noise. You could see that we were really up for it from the very first minute – everyone was hungry. We never gave up, we showed our heart instead. There’s life in the old dog yet, and that goes for me personally too! It wasn’t easy, but I’m so proud of the lads,” Prince Boateng said, speaking for Herthaner everywhere. All the reaction from after the final whistle is here at herthabsc.com.

Prince Boateng: It’s a massive weight lifted off our shoulders. I was absolutely knackered when I came off, we all put everything into this one. I’m so proud of the lads – today was anything but easy. We were poor in the first game and needed to turn everything around in this cauldron of noise. That’s what I love about football. You could see that we were really up for it from the very first minute – everyone was hungry. We never gave up, we showed our heart instead. There’s life in the old dog yet, and that goes for me personally too! It wasn’t easy, but I’m so proud of the lads! Now I need three or four days to recover and celebrate a bit – I’m not as much as a party animal as I used to be! We need to learn a lot from this season, bring a bit of calm to the club, build our relationship with the fans back again and become a family once more, just like we were in this game – that’s what Hertha BSC is all about!

Dedryck Boyata: There’s a lot of relief, of course. We all had to step up a gear after the end of the first leg and show what we are capable of. It was so important to take the lead early and put the opponents under pressure – we did that very well in the first half. Our fans were fantastic and pushed us forward from the first to the last whistle. I’m just so happy.

Marc Kempf: We knew we were behind and had nothing to lose, but we also knew we had to get the result. I experienced Tim Walter’s brand of football in Stuttgart, so I knew we could force them into mistakes. We said that we weren’t going to sit back or be gentle with them, it was full pressure for the whole game. That plan worked perfectly – we threw ourselves into every tackle and deservedly turned the tie around at the end. It was also a fantastic performance from the fans. Even though things haven’t been brilliant recently, they’ve gone on the journey with us and supported us until the end.

Fredi Bobic: This is truly a massive weight lifted off all our shoulders. The lads’ performance on the pitch, as well as everyone else’s off it, was unbelievable. They earned this win! The team made almost no mistakes, worked so hard and with so much passion, and wanted the goals more. The man who made the difference was Marvin Plattenhardt. He meant to score with his free-kick – what a guy! The relegation play-off is special, and we all feel its effects around the club. Despite that, the feeling is that we don’t want to experience another one, and we’ll work hard to avoid that!

Mark Fotheringham: I am so unbelievably proud of these lads. This club, these fans and this team will always have a special place in my heart. We had our best attackers on the pitch, which was a smart decision from the boss. From the goalkeeper to the strikers, and every single player and staff member on the bench: the whole group was so focused and wanted this win so badly. There has been a lot of pressure from all over the place recently, so now we, and most importantly the players, can finally enjoy the success.