Magath gives a glimpse into a deeply torn team
“Derby bankruptcy is now over,” assures Felix Magath
For Felix Magath, the bitter derby defeat against Union Berlin is over. After a joint team evening on Wednesday, the Hertha coach would like to look ahead and travel aggressively to the basement duel in Augsburg.
On Saturday, Hertha BSC will face FC Augsburg in a groundbreaking relegation duel. Coach Felix Magath complained beforehand about the lack of leading players in the Berlin squad. His clear words give a deep insight.
IIn the 29 games of this Bundesliga season so far, Hertha BSC have already conceded 66 goals. Only Greuther Fürth, bottom of the table, has more (72). The result is 17th place, the Berliners are on the verge of relegation.
On Saturday (3.30 p.m., Sky) the capital club will face FC Augsburg in a basement duel. Coach Felix Magath finds clear words before the trend-setting game that give a deep insight.
Hertha’s coach Felix Magath gives clear instructions in training and misses leading players
Source: dpa/Matthias Koch
He calls for cohesion in the Berliners’ struggle to stay up in the league. The club is in a “special situation”, said the coach of the penultimate table. For example, this cannot be compared to the start of a season. Then Magath says sentences that give a deep insight into a torn team. “Now only togetherness helps,” said the coach: “In a situation like this you have to stick together, even if there are things that you absolutely don’t want and don’t want to accept.”
Hertha fans recently asked the players to take off their jerseys after the home defeat in the derby against 1. FC Union. Some players complied. “The fans gave us great support before and during the game and wanted us to take the fight. We didn’t make it,” said Magath. “That’s why they’re allowed to be angry. However, it doesn’t help either side to be insulted for minutes – you can apologize and then part ways to take the edge off the situation.”
The 68-year-old emphasized that this situation cannot be solved positively with disagreement and allegations. “It’s only possible if you pull together,” said Magath. The game in Augsburg is followed by games at home against VfB Stuttgart and at Arminia Bielefeld.
From the point of view of their interim coach and experienced “rescuer”, the Berliners have to do without a leading player: “Another problem in our squad is that we don’t actually have any of them. The only one is Prince Boateng, who cannot play 90 minutes due to his injuries. He could get his team-mates carried away and turn games like the one against Union around with his mentality.”
The 35-year-old veteran returned to Hertha on a free transfer before the season, but was only on the field for the club for a total of 496 minutes in 15 competitive games – Boateng was not there for the full distance in any of them.
Meanwhile, an important date has been announced: The eagerly awaited Hertha general meeting is scheduled for May 29th. Members have been informed of this date by email. The official invitations will be sent out later.
Showdown between Windhorst and Gegenbauer
The meeting is scheduled to begin at 11:00 a.m. in Hall 20. The date is after the decision as to whether Hertha can prevent the seventh relegation in the club’s history from the Bundesliga.
At the meeting, there should be a showdown between million-dollar investor Lars Windhorst and Hertha President Werner Gegenbauer. Windhorst recently called on the club members to apply for the voting out of the current management team around Gegenbauer at the meeting.
It is no longer possible “to achieve something together as a team under the leadership of Mr. Gegenbauer,” Windhorst told the TV channel Bild.
Parts of the Hertha fans took a position in the power struggle at 1: 4 in the derby against Union Berlin on Saturday. “Windhorst and Gegenbauer out”, was emblazoned on a large poster on the upper tier of the east stand of the Olympic Stadium.
