Overview
- Härtel informed 1. FC Union Berlin that he will not work as a coach for the time being after the DFB Kontrollausschuss asked for a multi-week ban, a development reported on Sunday.
- The disciplinary request followed an anonymous letter that accused Härtel of discriminatory remarks in U19 training and triggered an internal review supported by external specialists.
- Union says it sanctioned Härtel, accepted his apology, found no evidence that players were endangered, and has offered monitoring, reporting channels and staff training.
- Härtel, who was released by Erzgebirge Aue in January 2026 and joined Union’s U19s in July, said he made mistakes, denied intent to discriminate, and will seek professional support while off duty.
- The DFB procedure remains open and will determine any formal ban; a Strafantrag is a formal disciplinary request that can lead to temporary prohibition from coaching while investigations continue.