Felix Magath sees many deep problems at Hertha BSC.Image: dpa / Andreas Gora
Bundesliga
Felix Magath has earned the reputation of the “fireman” in the Bundesliga. The experienced coach has stepped in several times for clubs threatened with relegation and has then held the class with them. That’s how it was in the early 2000s with Eintracht Frankfurt and VfB Stuttgart, in the 2010/2011 season with VfL Wolfsburg and last season with Hertha BSC.
The capital club is also currently in acute danger of relegation. With four games to go, Hertha is bottom of the table. They are five points behind the penultimate Schalke 04 and six in 15th place, the saving bank where VfB Stuttgart is currently ranked.
Felix Magath has now spoken before the groundbreaking game against Stuttgart, which takes place on Saturday at 3.30 p.m. in the Berlin Olympic Stadium. In a column, the Hertha hero of the past season made a devastating judgment about his former club.
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Hertha BSC: Felix Magath criticizes the management of the club
“Almost everyone has already written off the Berliners, and for me Hertha has practically been relegated,” writes Magath in his Column for the “Kicker”. The 69-year-old blames the Hertha management for the sporting decline of the traditional club.
“One thing is clear: relegation is often the result of years of poor club management.”
Felix Magath
In the past few years, Hertha has “never pulled together” and was “constantly busy with oneself”. “There were two camps, some wanted the Big City Club, others wanted to keep their club. The coaches, who found the conditions difficult, suffered the most,” Magath analyzed.
Felix Magath reports on difficult conditions at his Hertha trainer station.Image: dpa / Soeren Stache
Hertha BSC: Magath classifies sticking to black as a mistake
Kay Bernstein, who took over as President before the season, had declared the talk of the “Big City Club” to be over and proclaimed a “Berlin way”. Instead of lofty ambitions, he wanted to focus more on solid work. For Magath this is the right decision at the wrong time.
“The timing wasn’t right. Changing the philosophy in this difficult season in January or February and replacing the head of sport but not the coach was both questionable in terms of timing and not consistent enough.”
Hertha parted ways with sporting director Fredi Bobic in January, but held on to equally unsuccessful coach Sandro Schwarz until April. SSince then, club legend Pál Dárdai has been back on the sidelines, who is coaching Hertha for the third time. “Pál Dárdai exudes calm, that’s important,” writes Magath.
Before the upcoming basement duel against VfB Stuttgart, the ex-coach Hertha sees his back to the wall. “Perhaps that can release energy again,” speculates Magath. However, he currently sees the competitors in the relegation battle as “much more stable”. Stuttgart seems more closed after the recent change of coach, as does Schalke.
