Felix Magath facts for kids
Magath in 2024
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Wolfgang Felix Magath | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 26 July 1953 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Aschaffenburg, West Germany | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1960–1964 | VfR Nilkheim | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1964–1972 | TV 60 Aschaffenburg | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1972–1974 | Viktoria Aschaffenburg | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1974–1976 | 1. FC Saarbrücken | 76 | (29) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1976–1986 | Hamburger SV | 306 | (46) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 382 | (75) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1977–1986 | West Germany | 43 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Managerial career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1995–1997 | Hamburger SV | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1997–1998 | 1. FC Nürnberg | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998–1999 | Werder Bremen | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1999–2001 | Eintracht Frankfurt | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2004 | VfB Stuttgart | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2007 | Bayern Munich | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2009 | VfL Wolfsburg | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2011 | Schalke 04 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2012 | VfL Wolfsburg | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014 | Fulham | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | Shandong Luneng Taishan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | Hertha BSC | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Wolfgang Felix Magath, born on July 26, 1953, is a famous German football manager and a former player. He is known for his successful career both on the field and as a coach.
During his playing days, Magath was a key player for Hamburger SV. With this team, he won three Bundesliga titles, which is Germany's top football league. He also helped them win the 1977 European Cup Winners' Cup Final and the 1983 European Cup Final, scoring important goals in both championship games. He played 43 times for the West Germany national team, winning the UEFA Euro 1980 and reaching two World Cup finals.
As a manager, Magath continued his winning ways. He led Bayern Munich to win both the Bundesliga and the German Cup two years in a row. He also guided VfL Wolfsburg to their first-ever Bundesliga title in 2009. Magath is famous for his very strict training methods and strong discipline. In 2014, he became the first German manager in the English Premier League when he coached Fulham.
Contents
Playing Career Highlights
Felix Magath began his football journey playing for local clubs near his hometown of Aschaffenburg. He played for Viktoria Aschaffenburg and then for 1. FC Saarbrücken in the second division.
Joining Hamburger SV
In 1976, Magath moved to Hamburger SV, a top team in the Bundesliga. He played there for ten seasons until he retired. During his time with Hamburg, he scored 46 goals in 306 games in the German top league.
European Success with Hamburg
In 1983, Magath helped Hamburg win the European Cup, which is one of the biggest club competitions in Europe. He scored the only goal in the final against Juventus. He also scored a personal best of ten goals in the 1980–81 season, helping his team finish second in the league. Hamburg also won the league title three times during his career there.
Playing for West Germany
Magath also played for the West Germany national team in many international tournaments. He was part of the team that finished second in the 1982 and 1986 FIFA World Cups. He also helped West Germany win the 1980 UEFA European Championship. Magath played his first international game on April 30, 1977, and went on to play 43 times for his country, scoring three goals.
Magath's Style of Play
Felix Magath was a very skilled and smart player. He usually played as an attacking or central midfielder. He was known for his excellent technical skills, good vision on the field, and lots of energy. Even though he wasn't the fastest player, he was very good with the ball and could pass and shoot well with his left foot. He worked very hard during games and was great at understanding how the game was developing. Many experts consider him one of the best midfielders in the history of the Bundesliga.
Managerial Career
After a knee injury ended his playing career, Magath became a manager. He started as a general manager for his old club, Hamburg, in 1986. He also worked for other clubs like 1. FC Saarbrücken and Bayer Uerdingen.
Early Coaching Days
Magath began coaching teams directly in 1992. He led a fourth-tier club, FC Bremerhaven, to win their division. He then returned to Hamburger SV as a coach for their reserve team before becoming the main manager in October 1995. He helped Hamburg reach the UEFA Cup in his first season.
Over the next few years, Magath became known as a "fireman" because he would often take over clubs that were struggling and help them improve. He helped 1. FC Nürnberg get promoted to the Bundesliga in 1998. He also helped Werder Bremen avoid relegation and reach the DFB-Pokal final in 1999, though he left before the final. He also helped Eintracht Frankfurt improve their league position.
Success at Stuttgart and Bayern
In 2001, Magath took over VfB Stuttgart, another team fighting to avoid relegation. He quickly turned them around. In the 2002–03 season, Stuttgart finished second in the Bundesliga. Magath also brought in young players from Stuttgart's youth teams, like Timo Hildebrand and Kevin Kurányi, who became known as the "wild youth." During this time, Magath started to combine the roles of head coach and director of football.
His success at Stuttgart led him to FC Bayern Munich in 2004. In his first season, Magath led Bayern to win both the league and the German Cup. He repeated this amazing achievement in the 2005–06 season, making Bayern the first team to win two "doubles" in a row. However, after a slow start to the 2006–07 season, he left Bayern in January 2007.
Leading Wolfsburg and Schalke
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In June 2007, Magath joined VfL Wolfsburg as both head coach and director of football. He led Wolfsburg to their first-ever Bundesliga title in the 2008–09 season, which was a huge achievement for the club.
Before that season ended, Magath agreed to join Schalke 04 in July 2009, again taking on both coaching and director roles. Schalke finished second in his first season. However, after some difficult results and player unhappiness, Magath was dismissed by Schalke in March 2011.
Just two days later, Magath returned to VfL Wolfsburg, who were once again struggling with relegation. He helped them stay in the league. After a tough start to the 2012–13 season, Magath left Wolfsburg in October 2012.
Coaching in England and China
On February 14, 2014, Felix Magath became the manager of Fulham, an English club. This was his first coaching job outside of Germany. He hoped to save Fulham from being relegated from the Premier League. Fulham won their first game under Magath in March 2014. However, on May 3, 2014, Fulham was relegated from the Premier League. Magath was dismissed in September 2014 after a long run without a win.
After his time in England, Magath took a job in China, managing Shandong Luneng Taishan in June 2016. He led the team through the 2017 Chinese Super League season, finishing 6th, before leaving the club.
Recent Roles
In January 2020, Magath announced he would no longer coach but would help football in a different way. He became the head of FLYERALARM Global Soccer, overseeing clubs like Würzburger Kickers in Germany and Flyeralarm Admira in Austria.
In March 2022, Magath briefly returned to coaching, taking over Hertha BSC in Germany. He helped them avoid relegation before leaving the club in June 2022.
Magath's Managerial Style
As a manager, Felix Magath quickly became known for his very tough training methods. He focused a lot on discipline, fitness, and making players physically strong. Players sometimes gave him nicknames like "Quälix," which combines his first name Felix with a German word meaning "to torture," because his training was so demanding.
His methods have sometimes been seen as unusual. For example, after he left Fulham, a story came out that he had suggested a player use a traditional German remedy called "Quark" (a type of soft cheese) on a knee inflammation. Magath clarified that it was a traditional treatment, and a player later said the story was exaggerated.
Personal Life
Felix Magath's father was a Puerto Rican soldier in the United States Army, and his mother was German. His father left when Felix was young, and Felix first heard from him when he was 15.
Magath enjoys playing chess. He became interested in it in 1978 when he was recovering from an illness. In 1985, he even played a game against the famous chess champion Garry Kasparov.
Honours and Achievements
Felix Magath achieved many successes both as a player and as a manager.
As a Player
Hamburger SV
- Bundesliga: 1978–79, 1981–82, 1982–83 (Won Germany's top league three times)
- European Cup: 1982–83 (Won Europe's top club competition)
- European Cup Winners' Cup: 1976–77 (Won another European club competition)
West Germany National Team
- UEFA European Championship: 1980 (Won the European Championship)
- FIFA World Cup runner-up: 1982, 1986 (Finished second in the World Cup twice)
As a Manager
VfB Stuttgart
- UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2002 (Won a European club competition)
Bayern Munich
- Bundesliga: 2004–05, 2005–06 (Won Germany's top league two times)
- DFB-Pokal: 2004–05, 2005–06 (Won the German Cup two times)
VfL Wolfsburg
- Bundesliga: 2008–09 (Won Germany's top league)
Individual Awards
- German Football Manager of the Year: 2003, 2005, 2009 (Recognized as the best manager in Germany multiple times)
Images for kids
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Magath in 2024
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Magath being interviewed as the coach of VfB Stuttgart
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Magath at a press conference of VfL Wolfsburg in 2011
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Magath coaching Schalke 04
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Magath in 1985
See also
In Spanish: Felix Magath para niños
