Magath fears league competition
“Hertha now has a Big City coach”
03/17/2022, 4:10 p.m
Hertha BSC is bringing a notorious retired coach back to the Bundesliga: Felix Magath. The league competition believes in its success and fears in the relegation battle for a resurgence of the Berliners. The next opponent pulls out old video material straight away.
Felix Magath is back in the Bundesliga – and everyone is looking at him and Hertha BSC. Can the 68-year-old save the Berliners from impending relegation? Urs Fischer from city rivals 1. FC Union still believes Magath can do a lot. “I think he can still do something there,” said the coach: “He also got a good assistant in Werner Leuthard. I know him from my time in Basel. He also helped out here at Union. ” On April 9 (6:30 p.m. / Sky) Hertha and Union will meet in the city derby in the Olympic Stadium.
While Union is uncatchable ahead of the rival, FC Augsburg is fighting Hertha BSC directly. Augsburg’s coach Markus Weinzierl also finds Magath’s comeback very exciting and, like Fischer, believes in his success and additional explosiveness in the relegation battle. “Hertha is the big city club and now has a big coach,” said Weinzierl.
Magath’s arrival at the Berliners came as a “surprise” even for him, as the FC Augsburg coach admitted. In 14th place, FCA are three points ahead of the penultimate table: “I find Felix Magath very exciting, his successes speak for him, his style is well known.” FCA will play Hertha at home on April 16th. Weinzierl is happy that the Berliners could be “observed under the new coach” several times before.
“If someone can save Hertha…”
First on Saturday at the home game of Berlin against TSG Hoffenheim. Especially because of Magath’s return, the TSG management studied the coach’s old video material. “We watched his last Bundesliga games and saw scenes from China,” said coach Sebastian Hoeneß. But it is not known how Magath will set the team on his debut.
Magath is considered a grinder who can quickly liven up a team. How strenuous the training can be became clear during training on Wednesday: Frederik Björkan had to give up exhausted from the fitness session under Leuthard. He lay on the ground for minutes, then, visibly pale, was driven from the training ground in a golf cart. However, he is said to have had gastrointestinal problems before. He is reported to have recovered quickly.
Krassimir Balakow also remembers Magath’s skills: “Felix Magath is the only one who can master such a hammer task,” said the former Stuttgart professional to the “Kicker”: “Who else would accept such a job at all? Of course there are no guarantees . But if anyone can save Hertha, it’s him.”
Balakow once worked at VfB Stuttgart as a player and assistant coach under Magath. “Whoever follows him will be rewarded. He has made many players great,” said the 55-year-old: “Anyone who is ready to perform will not find it difficult with him. His demands are high, but they also automatically raise the level of every player.”
Of course, he also knows that the young generation of professionals ticks differently “than we did 20 years ago,” says Balakov, “but they are usually no less willing to perform.” And Magath will tease this performance out of them: “Maximum professionalism is the key. And he will take care of that.”
Magath was introduced on Monday as the successor to Tayfun Korkut at Hertha. Leuthard’s commitment as an athletic trainer became known on Wednesday. Hertha recently crashed in 17th place in the table and has not won any of the ten competitive games so far in 2022.