Felix Magath returns to management five years after last job as Hertha Berlin’s third boss of the season
The former Fulham boss is back in a job within Europe for the first time since 2014
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Hertha Berlin have appointed Felix Magath as head coach - their third this season - after Tayfun Korkut’s sacking in a bid to salvage their Bundesliga status, the club said on Sunday.
Korkut was sacked following a fifth straight Bundesliga loss, with Hertha sinking into the relegation zone in 17th place after their 2-0 defeat to Borussia Moenchengladbach on Saturday.
In a statement, the club said Magath, 68, had signed a deal that will run until the end of the season. His last coaching role, with Chinese Super League side Shandong Taishan, ended in 2017.
Magath was in charge at then-Premier League side Fulham in 2014, but lasted only seven months in the job during which the club was relegated from the topi flight. He won only four of his 20 games in charge and has not held a job in Europe since then.
“I had very open and honest discussions with (Hertha sports director) Fredi Bobic,” Magath said. “We are all aware of the current situation, and I’m ready to help Hertha achieve their goal of staying up.
“What’s important right now is that everyone is fully focused on the remaining eight games.”
The arrival of Magath means the club will have had three head coaches in one season. Korkut’s departure came less than four months after he was appointed to replace Pal Dardai, who was also sacked.
Magath, a former West Germany international, scored the only goal as Hamburg SV won the European Cup in 1983 and was a World Cup runner-up with Germany in 1982 and 1986.
His first head coach job was with Hamburg in 1995, after which he coached a string of Bundesliga teams. He joined Bayern Munich in 2004, where he became the first coach to lead the team to back-to-back domestic doubles in 2005 and 2006.
Magath, renowned for his gruelling training methods, then took over Wolfsburg in 2007, leading them to the Bundesliga title in 2009.
“We have been able to find a coach who has proven many times that he has the experience needed in order to make the necessary changes to help us out of the challenging situation we find ourselves in,” Bobic said.
Hertha have failed to win any of their nine league matches in 2022 and have lost seven of them.
Despite receiving a 375 million euro (£315m) injection from investor Lars Windhorst in recent years, Hertha have continued to struggle in the top flight.
Additional reporting by Aadi Nair of Reuters
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments