Bundesliga side Hertha Berlin "could be suffering a financial hit after Olympic Stadium operators asked for a drastically increased rent," according to Roberto Lamprecht of BILD. Hertha's rental agreement with the stadium will expire in '17. Initial discussions between the club and stadium operators "have revealed a vast gap between the two sides." Stadium operators "are reportedly asking for a rent increase" from €4M ($4.5M) to €7.5M ($8.5M) annually, with the new agreement set to run for 15 years. In addition, operators expect Hertha to give up its catering rights, worth about €1M ($1.1M), for the duration of the deal. Overall, Hertha "would have to pay a staggering" €127.5M ($145.4M) under those terms. Hertha GM Michael Preetz: "What was supposed to be a technical meeting, ended in demands that shocked us ... It will accelerate our stadium plans." Club execs publicly stated their desire to play in their own stadium in the long term. As a result, Hertha is more likely to be interested in a short-term extension with a length of five or six years. The club's plans for a new stadium "may have rubbed stadium officials the wrong way and led to the shocking demands" (BILD, 5/4).
