Dedryck Boyata forced a move away from Scottish Premiership champions Celtic but Hertha Berlin have had a nightmare start in the Bundesliga.
You would be hard pressed to find a Celtic fan anywhere who feels even the slightest twinge of sympathy for Dedryck Boyata right now.
After spending the best part of 12 months desperately trying to force a move away from the club who gave him a chance after he was discarded by Manchester City, Boyata finally got his wish in May.
Celtic didn’t even get the consolation of a decent transfer fee for an experienced, established Belgium international. With his contract set to expire, the centre-back didn’t wait around to put pen to paper with Hertha Berlin.
But it’s all gone wrong since then. And, in the eyes of the Parkhead faithful at least, karma is a beautiful thing.
Boyata obviously felt that the grass was greener elsewhere but, while Celtic are top of the Scottish Premiership table with nine in a row firmly in their sights, the 28-year-old finds himself rooted to the bottom of the Bundesliga table.
Boyata finally made his Hertha Berlin debut last weekend after an injury-hit start to life in the German capital but a 2-1 home defeat to Mainz – a result Ante Covic’s side really should have avoided – means they have picked up just one point from a possible 12 so far.
Already, the decision to sack long-serving club legend Pal Dardai, who led Hertha to a comfortable mid-table finish last season, looks a questionable one with 2019/20 shaping up to be a long, hard slog.
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