Everything in the Berlin Olympic Stadium is huge, including the premises where the public toilets are located.

A bold group of visionaries and defeatists gathered there late Tuesday evening to discuss possible travel destinations for the coming fall.

The general tenor: Elversberg, Hamburg, Heidenheim or Nuremberg also have their appeal and in general, Hertha have proven with the two promotions in 2011 and 2013 that you can do second division.

It's not that far after a miserable first half of the season, but the probability of a tour through the realms of the second division was nourished again on Tuesday evening.

Hertha lost 5-0 to Wolfsburg at home.

It was as bad as the result reads.

Sandro Schwarz, Hertha's trainer, spoke of a "slap in the face"; a number of visitors in the already half-filled group made their way home long before the half-time whistle blew.

What Hertha offered over two-thirds of the game was not suitable for the Bundesliga.

The 3-1 draw against Bochum was followed by the second setback within four days, just before the Berlin derby against Union (Saturday, 3:30 p.m. in the FAZ live ticker for the Bundesliga and on Sky).

"The first half was the worst thing I've seen this season," said sports director Fredi Bobic on Sky.

The game was decided after just over half an hour due to goals conceded by Mattias Svanberg, Maximilian Arnold, who converted a hand penalty amateurishly caused by Dodi Lukebakio, and Jonas Wind.

The further goals of the Wolfsburg, who achieved the sixth win in a row, from Ridle Baku and Omar Marmoush rounded off the picture.

After beating Freiburg 6-0, the next clear victory followed.

The almost perfect start to the 2023 calendar year presented the soon-to-be sports director Marcel Schäfer with the challenge of nipping too much enthusiasm in the bud.

"We know where we come from and that it won't go on like this forever," said Schäfer, who immediately gave information about some personal details.

Josuha Guilavogui, who is willing to emigrate, will remain at VfL until the summer; Wolfsburg does not agree to a move to VfB Stuttgart.

Nicolas Cozza does not come from Montpellier for the new season, but immediately.

The left-back completed his final medical tests on Wednesday.

Cozza will find a side that has found itself after a bumpy start and internal strife.

“It's impressive how the guys push themselves when warming up or in training.

We're all pulling together, everyone wants to go in the same direction," said captain Maximilian Arnold.

In autumn, VfL was still in seventeenth place, where Hertha is now.

"Not a great situation, but one that can be solved," said Hertha's coach Schwarz.

He tried to be combative, but even the 44-year-old football teacher had trouble hiding his disappointment.

Schwarz seemed irritated, he knew that "everything is now being interpreted" and meant primarily his actions.

Sports director Bobic did not want to give any room to a possible debate about his coach.

"He's not even remotely up for discussion for me," Bobic said of Black.

The team's most recent performances, coupled with the numbers, fuel the usual mechanisms of the industry, despite Bobic's statements.

At the same time last season, Hertha had seven points more, in the end it was just enough to stay in the class via relegation.

The Berliners wanted to avoid that this season.

At the moment, reaching this extra round would be considered a success.