Hertha BSC are staying in the league – and Felix Magath has done his job. After the final whistle, the 68-year-old revealed what he plans to do after the club stays in the class, talking about Kevin-Prince Boateng’s influence on the line-up.
Magath has experienced a lot in his playing and coaching career, yet the averted relegation with Hertha BSC will hold a special place in his memory. “It was definitely the most difficult task,” Magath said on “Sky” after the 2-0 win at HSV, also explaining with a view to the sensational championship he won with VfL Wolfsburg in 2009 that he had not had so much pressure then. “In Wolfsburg I didn’t have to become champion, here I had to keep the league. That was a damn tough and difficult task, which lasted until the relegation, until the last minute. “
Now he says he is relieved, also because the project in Berlin is now over. “My task was to manage to stay in the league – that’s what happened. From that point of view, everything is good.” Magath, however, did not want to take the credit for the success for himself alone, explicitly praising the achievements of his fellow coaches Mark Fotheringham (co-coach) and Werner Leuthard (athletics coach), who will also leave the Old Lady at the end of the season. “I’m gone and I’m leaving with the coach and Werner,” said Fotheringham, for example.
Mixed in with Magath’s joy at what he had achieved, however, was a bit of melancholy, as he admitted. Although he was happy about the successful relegation, he also had “a heavy heart, as I helped to ensure that we won’t see HSV in the first division next season.” Magath spent his best years as a player in Hamburg and celebrated great successes – among other things, he scored the winning goal in the 1983 European Champions’ Cup.
Just as Magath was once an important player at HSV, Kevin-Prince Boateng was also supposed to help Hertha stay in the league as a leading figure. Many were all the more surprised when “KPB” was not used in the first leg (0:1). Asked about this, Magath explained that he was not sure whether “Boateng could have played 90 minutes on Thursday and 90 minutes again today”. “For me it was more important that he could be there today for the decisive game, the final game. “
Magath’s future?
With a smile, Magath replied flippantly when asked about Boateng’s influence on the starting eleven: “Yes, yes, he made the team – and thank God I listened to him. So we did everything right.”
Magath also showed humour when asked about his personal future. He does not want to think about this yet, he is “not ready yet”. Much more present in his mind: “Now I’m going to go back home and chop wood. “
