That too! Hertha’s new coach Felix Magath (68) will not be on the bench against Hoffenheim on Saturday.
By Walter M. Straten, Paul Gorgas, and Nahne Gingersen
The coach tested positive for Corona on Thursday morning. He was already absent from training in the afternoon. Magath, who is asymptomatic, boosted and considered prudent, will be deputized on the line by his assistant Mark Fotheringham, 38.
According to BZ information, however, Magath will speak to the team from his isolation in the hotel room, have contact with the bank during the game and also coach.
Magath to BZ: “It was clear that the task would be difficult. However, it was not to be expected that further obstacles that could not be influenced would arise right at the beginning.”
And further: “Nevertheless, that will not deter us from achieving our common goal of staying up in the league.”
Magath in isolation, his assistant Fotheringham is boss on the bench on Saturday.
Does the assistant coach do it right away in his first Hertha week?
Ex-Ingolstadt coach Thomas Oral (48) knows Fotheringham well. The Scot was his assistant at the Schanzer and before that in Karlsruhe and therefore already speaks good German. Oral, who met Fotheringham when he was still a professional at Fulham in 2014 under Magath and himself, says: “As a player he was a real guy, had his opinion and an outstanding foot. And he could rank too. I was already impressed by his honesty in Fulham.”
Even then, the midfielder ticked like a coach. Oral: “Even as a professional, he always thought about the entire game, like a coach. That’s why I got him later as my assistant coach.”
Fotheringham should also have the Magath-typical volume. During training, he amazed everyone with his loud commands and quick jokes (“Don’t use the handbrake”). In every session, Fotheringham was part of the action, explained exercises, coached, made passes.
Fotheringham, who has the Scottish FA Pro Coach license, said as early as 2021: “It’s only a matter of time before I start working in the Bundesliga.”
Now it is time. On Saturday he will temporarily be the boss on the line. In the next curious Corona chapter at Hertha.