You have to admit one thing to Hertha managing director Fredi Bobic: while reports about new appointments to the coaching position under his predecessor Michael Preetz sometimes found their way into the Berlin tabloids more quickly than to the employees who were fired, Bobic’s decisions are surprising even for those who know the club well.
After surprising club legend Pal Dardai in November replaced by his buddy Tayfun Korkut, he gave even the long-suffering supporters a shock on Sunday evening. The 68-year-old Felix Magath should save Hertha BSC from the impending relegation. Can this go well?
Great successes and bitter layoffs
“Felix Magath’s CV speaks for itself,” says Fredi Bobic. As a player, Magath won championships and European cups, was European and vice world champion with the national team. To this day, Magath is the only coach who has managed to defend the league and DFB Cup double the following season. He led VfL Wolfsburg to its only championship. That was in 2009 – and measured against the objectives of his subsequent stations, the last major success in Magath’s career. At FC Schalke, Magath was dismissed two years later because of relegation problems and was mocked in the media as the “junk king” for signing uncontracted players who were long past their prime.
After falling 18th on his return to VfL Wolfsburg, Magath was unable to save his next employer, Fulham FC, from relegation from the English Premier League. His team also messed up the start of the season in the second division. Magath was released again in last place. This was followed by an engagement in China and at a Franconian printing company as “Global Sports Director”. Global in this case meant sporting control over the Würzburger Kickers and Admira Wacker from Mödling in Austria. Magath resigned in March 2021. Two months later, Würzburg was relegated to bottom of the table without a hitch.
Magath focuses on fitness
So how did Fredi Bobic come across Felix Magath of all people when he was looking for the savior in need? The answer could be about 20 years in the past. Because at a time when many a player in the Old Lady’s squad was not yet born, Magath saved Hamburger SV, Eintracht Frankfurt and VfB Stuttgart from relegation in tricky situations. He also earned the nickname “Quälix” with hard training methods. Soccer pro Bachirou Salou once said that “Felix Magath was the last dictator in Europe” and Jan-Aage Fjörtoft compared the training to a dentist appointment. Magath himself worked as a hobby linguist and explained: “Quality comes from suffering.”
Sayings like this could have influenced Fredi Bobic’s decision. Only a week ago he strengthened Korkut’s back. After the defeat against Frankfurt, Bobic called a meeting with the team. His conclusion: “The players have recognized that they are the problem.” After the defeat against Mönchengladbach, Bobic also had to admit what was obvious for a long time. The friendly Tayfun Korkut did not reach the troupe. For Bobic, the fitness fanatic “Quälix” seems to be the solution. Magath has often proven that with his immense experience, his manner and his charisma, he can make the right adjustments, the managing director explained. But fitness does not seem to be one of these adjustment screws, against Gladbach Hertha ran more than five kilometers more than the opponent.
Magath doesn’t believe in tactics
Despite this, Hertha again failed to score. With only 284 shots, the Berliners are the second worst team in the league. 60 goals conceded make for a miserable goal difference of -34. Korkut, whose signing Bobic justified by the fact that, unlike his predecessor Dardai, he was able to play dominant attacking football, used a 5-3-2 system with eight defensive-minded field players in his last game. If you wanted to list Hertha’s footballing problems in detail, you would have to take at least one afternoon off. But anyone expecting Magath to be a coach who attaches great importance to a tactical solution to the Hertha crisis will be disappointed.
“I don’t believe in what you’re doing today, so just assessing and building up the game tactically,” said Magath when asked about Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann last September and added mockingly: “That’s how you manifest mediocrity and makes the game uninteresting.” One could argue that Hertha BSC would probably like to be in the middle at the moment. What is certain is that Magath will approach his team’s line-up more pragmatically than his predecessor. Korkut has stubbornly stuck to his playful ideas for a long time in the last few weeks, although these obviously did not match the qualities of his players.
Fredi Bobic’s last cartridge
Both the composition of the team and the dismissal of Pal Dardai, the long stay with Korkut and the surprise signing of Felix Magath are the responsibility of Fredi Bobic. That’s why a lot depends on Magath’s success in the last eight games for the manager too.
“We are all aware of the current sporting situation and I am happy to use all my experience to help Hertha BSC achieve their goal of staying up in the league,” said Magath in the club’s announcement on his appointment. No wonder he emphasizes his experience. Because nobody in the Bundesliga thinks Magath’s methods are up-to-date anymore. This is another reason why he has the least to lose in this commitment.
Broadcast: rbb24, March 14, 2022, 6 p.m
Source: rbb