When Felix Magath was asked about this constellation on Saturday after the maximum painful 1-2 defeat at Borussia Dortmund, which he himself had repeatedly predicted as very likely, the 68-year-old gave an insight into his emotional world. “The idea of competing against HSV was and is always uncomfortable,” said Magath. “When it gets the HSV, it will be a difficult game for me.”
Now- according to Hamburg’s 3-2 victory in Rostock – it is clear that it happens exactly. Two weeks ago, after the Berlin 1-1 in Bielefeld and at then four points ahead of Stuttgart, Magath said: “When I took on this job, I was sure that we were playing against HSV in the relegation.”
Now this scenario becomes reality. Of all things against the club, which he, as a player in 1983 in the national champions Cup final against favorite Juventus Turin and his winning goal in Athens, shot into the European Olympus, with whom he became German champion (1979, 1982, 1983) and in which he in the middle The first head coach in the Bundesliga started in the 90s, Magath has to complete his most severe coaching mission.
“That doesn’t matter for these encounters”
Magath was an eyewitness to the 3-0 win of Darmstadt against Paderborn on Sunday. His assistant Mark Fotheringham in Rostock took a close look at the HSV. The Felix said Magath after the final whistle of the final second division game: “The HSV, that is completely out of the question, is the biggest section of my footballer life. But that doesn’t matter for these two encounters! It still doesn’t work about me or my past with the HSV. It’s all about Hertha BSC – about relegation. “
He knows the HSV from the Eff Eff – and he warns of him: “I saw many games in the 2nd Bundesliga, the HSV was the best team for me.” On Thursday evening there will be a duel with your own past in Berlin, on Monday Hertha and Magath will go to Hamburg in the second leg.