Magath is on a mission to pull Hertha Berlin back from the abyss of relegation. The 68-year-old spoke about how he felt differently about his return to the Bundesliga, how he would help Hertha Berlin succeed in relegation, and his thoughts on this weekend's derby.
Bundesliga official website: How does it feel to return to the Bundesliga?
Magat: "It always feels like this, no different from before, the memory is rooted in the mind. You'll tell yourself that a lot has changed, but once you get back here, you'll find that not much has changed. So for me, it feels like I'm used to it all. ”
Bundesliga official website: How important is it to beat Hoffenheim in your first match?
Magat: "It's an exciting start. We didn't necessarily expect it to go as well, but it meant that I, along with my colleagues Werner Leuthard and Mark Ferzelin Ham, got a lucky hand. I think we, as the coaching staff, work well together and are able to handle situations very well. This way, a lineup can be prepared relatively quickly. They'll see that we know exactly what we're going to do and that's why for me, the players are able to focus so quickly and adapt to the way we work. This is surprising, especially when considering that this will be completely different from what they have experienced before. ”
Bundesliga official website: What is the game plan against Hoffenheim and how does this victory strengthen the confidence of your team?
Magat: "People always have a vision of how the race should be played. However, in football, opponents also have their own strategies. This time we made some changes as a team, and that was our ability to stay consistent on the pitch. This is also something that Fuze Linhan puts a lot of energy into training. He worked intensely with the players, and that effort was reflected on the pitch. We would have liked to score a free kick but like I said it was just wishful thinking, not a plan, but it's obviously good to succeed that way. This victory is what our team needs. Losing five times in a row can easily make people lose confidence and security, and such a victory helps to restore confidence, and we can see the rebuilding of the confidence of the players in training. So, with this win, I think we can get some hope back, not only for the city of Berlin, but for the league as a whole, to let people know that Hertha Berlin is still a team that cannot be ignored. ”
Bundesliga official website: What have you done to boost the confidence of your players?
Magat: "One aspect is the sense of unity when the game is lost. When the game is lost, everyone shrinks into their own world and becomes self-enclosed, and it is important to reunite the team at this time. That's why it's so important to have contact between the team and the coaching staff so that the players can feel like someone wants to take them forward. As far as I can see, these players are great and it's a good team. With more victories, security will be restored. I believe that with these methods that we have implemented over the past few weeks, we will have a great chance of avoiding downgrading. ”
Bundesliga official website: How did you help players rediscover the joy of football?
Magat: "When a team loses confidence, you have to work hard to rebuild that confidence. People are like this, and you will only have confidence when you do one thing well. If you don't do well, you'll become insecure again. That's why it's so important to get a win in the first place, it's a must. These things need to happen constantly in their heads so that they can move forward. In the first few days, the team has achieved this very well. I rarely – or never have brought – a team that can put as much work into training as Hertha Berlin. That's why I was able to keep my composure about our prospects for achieving our goals. ”
Bundesliga official website: What do you think about your reputation as an iron fist?
Magat: "I've been doing this for years!" I'm not new to it, so I know the rules of the industry. The media likes to keep things simple, so they use easy-to-understand stereotypes to say things. Sometimes it's a good review, sometimes it's not, but it doesn't have to be too much of a concern for these, it's important to focus in this situation because what we do together as a team and coaching staff is what really matters. After all, we ourselves witnessed the outcome of the race. Focus on what really matters, ignore the irrelevant things, and you'll be able to move forward. ”
Bundesliga official website: What are you looking forward to for the rest of the season?
Magat: "If you play for as long as I do, you know that guessing about the 'ifs', 'maybes', 'finally' 'maybes' of next week and next week – is useless, it just distracts you. It's something I've been through a lot of times in my career, which is why I can focus on my next task without any problems. Just count the days as one day, and I can effortlessly fade everything else into the background and care. It's something I've learned over the years and it's become one of my strengths. ”
Bundesliga official website: What is your football philosophy?
Magat: "I have a philosophy of football that I've been taught by my experiences in my career. My football success philosophy requires good health, orderliness and a strong desire for success. These are all things that we are quickly implementing here, so I am quite optimistic about the task ahead of us. ”
Bundesliga official website: How much do you know about Berlin?
Magat: "Of course I know, I know Berlin very well. I've been to Berlin before. Berlin is not only the largest city in Germany, but also a city famous all over the world. There are pros and cons to this, and in a way, places like Berlin are a bit of a lethal attraction for young footballers, as there are still so many glamorous things that distract them. The city is always vibrant, day and night. That's why cities like this are a distraction. It is important to be able to concentrate despite these distractions. At the moment, I don't see any problems, but in a city like Berlin it can be a distraction for the players. "
Bundesliga official website: What do you think of the people in Berlin?
Magat: "In general, I think the inhabitants of a capital city are usually more confident than others who grew up in different cities, which also creates the typical Berliner's rough voice that people are familiar with. They are open and sometimes too loud, but that's part of the city's character. It's Berlin, so people who don't like it may feel uncomfortable here, but I'm used to living here and I love Berlin very much. In such a limited space, there are few places with more historical background. ”
Bundesliga official website: What was your first day in Hertha Berlin?
Magat: "Everyone's first day is different. Now I'm a new person at the club. So, at that point, the players really didn't know me very well – I spent the first few days painting myself a mental picture of the players, the team and the environment. Everything is new, so you have to categorize everything. That's why I'm more involved in it and try to organize things for myself. I was overly happy with the progress of the game and was able to follow the game in a relatively relaxed way. ”
Bundesliga official website: You play with Kevin Keegan in Hamburg. What role has he played in your success?
Magat: "Together we won the league titles of '79 and '80. Kevin is already a top player, he has experienced everything differently, relationships with fans and so on. It was new to us, so he was really impressed. He was always polite and a true English gentleman. He's outstanding based on his performance, but he's still one of us. That's why he has a special role, but nonetheless, we feel like a team with him; we respect him. He helped us win the league title and at the same time helped the club in his own way – getting more attention in world football. ”
Bundesliga official website: What was the impact of Keegan in Hamburg at that time?
Magat: "It's so unusual. That's why our manager at the time, Dr. Peter Crohn, achieved so much. He stayed here for three years and although our first year together wasn't too happy, we ended up having success in the Bundesliga. Under the coach's leadership, we really became one of the top teams in Europe. ”