Berlin (AP) – Interim coach Felix Magath criticized the lack of support in the club after the successful rescue mission at Hertha BSC.
“I accidentally met my predecessor Tayfun Korkut in the hotel underground car park when he had to leave Berlin. We talked briefly there,” said the 68-year-old to “kicker”. “Tayfun told me that it was difficult for him because he didn’t have any help at all. And I can only say: I also felt like I didn’t have any help during the nine weeks.”
Hertha avoided relegation to the 2nd Bundesliga by beating Hamburger SV 2-0 in the second leg on Monday evening. Magath had followed Korkut in mid-March. After the relegation, he had confirmed that he would not remain as a coach with the Berliners.
He got the team with his coaching staff so far “that they stick together,” reported Magath. But “across the board” he never had the feeling that the club was resisting relegation: “I felt almost no support anywhere.” At VfB Stuttgart 2001 there was broad support. “In Berlin, the atmosphere was more like: paragraph one – everyone does their own thing.”
From Magath’s point of view, managing director Fredi Bobic is “one of the victims” in the club: “He has taken on problems that have not only been there since last week. This club has now been close to relegation for the third year in a row. That didn’t come suddenly, but must be a structural problem.” Bobic had announced that he wanted to present a successor to Magath as soon as possible. The talks are “very, very far,” said the manager on Tuesday.