Latest news with #FelixMagath
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Nick Woltemade told to 'take a leaf out of Florian Wirtz's book' as ex-Bayern Munich manager highlights positives and negatives of joining Bundesliga champions
Magath wants Woltemade to learn from Wirtz Stuttgart man on Bayern's radar Coach urges Germany U21 star to be patient WHAT HAPPENED? Former Stuttgart and Bayern head coach Magath had words of advice for the young Woltemade. The 71-year-old former West Germany international pointed to Wirtz, who made a British record move from Bayer Leverkusen to Liverpool last month, urging Woltemade to not rush his decisions and prioritise on his footballing development. THE BIGGER PICTURE THE BIGGER PICTURE Woltemade has only had two full seasons in the top-flight, with the 2024-25 season with Stuttgart his breakout year. In the 2023-24 season, the 23-year-old made 30 league appearances with Werder Bremen and scored two goals before arriving in the limelight last season by scoring 17 goals in 33 games in all competitions for Stuttgart. His exploits at the European U21 Championship, in which Germany lost the final to England, have grabbed the attention of Bayern Munich. They have already reached a personal agreement with the player over a summer move, though Stuttgart do not want to sell, and Magath has some words of advice for the forward. WHAT FELIX MAGATH SAID Speaking to Sky Sport in Germany, Magath said: "I can certainly understand that, and it's obviously the right approach for FC Bayern Munich to bring in an interesting, young, German player, since the big transfer of Florian Wirtz didn't come to fruition. That's not good for the Bundesliga , and it wasn't good for FC Bayern. In my opinion, the strategic decision is the right one. Advertisement "But whether and to what extent a player who has played one season in the Bundesliga is already at the point where he can strengthen FC Bayern Munich is a question that will be decided on the coach's back, whether and how he can integrate him. "He's not a finished player yet. My concern is that all this hype will put a strain on him – and that he might not be able to properly assess things and will have difficulty maintaining his consistent performance next season. "I take my hat off to Florian Wirtz, who, in my opinion, has done very, very well. Unlike many others, he has completed his development at Leverkusen. From a sporting perspective, I completely understand that, and perhaps such a young player should take a leaf out of his book. If [Woltemade] were to complete his development in Stuttgart for another year or two, he would still have enough time to earn even more money at Bayern or elsewhere." WHAT NEXT? WHAT NEXT? It remains to be seen if Bayern can succeed in their ambition to sign Woltemade. If reports are to be believed, the Bavarians are ready to offer a five-year deal on a €7.5 million per year (£6.4m/$8.7m) salary, with the potential to rise to €10m. According to Bild, Stuttgart have set an asking price of €60m (£51m/$71m).
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Long-serving German coach Magath: Club World Cup just a 'money grab'
German soccer coach and patron Felix Magath speaks during a press conference on the inclusive "Doppelpass" coach training program in soccer. Sebastian Gollnow/dpa Long-serving German coach Felix Magath sees no sporting value in the Club World Cup in the United States and believes the revamped tournament is just a "money grab." He thinks the only reason why a club should be crowned world champion is because "clubs from different continents play against each other. Advertisement "But the differences in performance are just too great for someone like me, who has been in football all his life, to enjoy watching it," Magath told broadcasters Sky. As a coach, he sees a "catastrophe" coming for the teams due to the lack of recovery for the players. "Bayern Munich can be happy that the competition in the league is not so fierce at the moment," he said, adding that otherwise Bayern would struggle to win the Bundesliga title in the upcoming season. "When should the players recover? The players, I think, will have difficulties to reach the necessary level of fitness in the upcoming season," Magath said. Advertisement The tournament is at least financially worthwhile. Football governing body FIFA will distribute almost $1 billion between the participating teams. The winner is expected to be awarded up to $125 million.
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ex-ultra elected new Hamburg president as club labelled 'debt free'
Henrik Koencke, candidate for the president, takes part in the general meeting of Hamburger at Volksparkstadion. Georg Wendt/dpa Former ultra fan Henrik Köncke has been voted as the new president of SV Hamburg, just over a month after their promotion back to the Bundesliga. Köncke, previously one of the club's radical supporters in the stands, received a clear majority of 65.71% to succeed former player Marcell Jansen. Ex-coach Felix Magath was controversially not allowed to stand for election. Advertisement Finance chief Eric Huwer also told Saturday's annual general meeting that the club are "debt-free" as they head back to the German top flight. Hamburg had been in the second tier since relegation in 2018.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Everything but the title: One of the wildest careers rolls on
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here. "Something's coming our way for sure": Lewis Holtby's statement (quoted by 'SID') before the last Bundesliga game of his career not only provided an accurate assessment of today's duel between Kiel and Borussia Dortmund. If he had a time machine, this sentence would also be a good hint to his 17-year-old self. That's probably what young Lewis Holtby would have said if he had been shown his career path in a crystal ball: A lot is coming my way. Between relegations, promotions, Champions League, Premier League, and the swamp of the second English league, Lewis Holtby has experienced a lot of ups and downs without ever being rewarded with a real title. We take a look at the pictures of a career that really had everything. Except titles. 📸 Christof Koepsel - 2009 Getty Images Lewis Holtby's professional career begins in black and yellow: After his debut at 17 in 2007, he breaks through in the 2008/09 season. Thanks to 17 scorer points in the 2nd league, the whole Bundesliga is suddenly eyeing the half-Englishman. 📸 Christof Koepsel -In the summer of 2009, Holtby makes one of those decisions that doesn't make things easy for him: He switches to FC Schalke 04, who were coached by Felix Magath at the time. 📸 Christof Koepsel - 2009 Getty Images At Schalke, he can't assert himself against Jermaine Jones and Ivan Rakitić and usually only comes off the bench. In the winter, it's decided to loan Holtby out. It doesn't get any easier. 📸 Lars Baron - 2010 Getty Images Holtby goes to Bochum, plays there, but VfL can't stay in the league at the end of the season. It won't be the first relegation. Back in Gelsenkirchen, he's loaned out to Mainz in the summer of 2010. Of course, it's never easy when you switch to a club coached by Thomas Tuchel (hello Shawn Parker). Despite this, Holtby celebrates his first real success here. 📸 Joern Pollex - 2011 Getty Images The legendary Bruchwegboys manage to qualify for Europe via fifth place. In his first game back at Schalke, he then wins his first and only career title: Schalke, the cup winner, beats champion Borussia Dortmund to win the Supercup. 📸 Christof Koepsel - 2011 Getty Images At Schalke, he finally becomes a regular starter, qualifies for the Champions League with Königsblau, and takes something with him that most of us would never wash off again: A hug from Raúl. 📸 Stuart Franklin - 2011 Getty Images In January 2013, he moves to Tottenham Hotspur in his father's home country. The balance: No title, but at least the next world star hug. 📸 IAN KINGTON - 2013 AFP Or rather: two world star hugs. 📸 Brian Kersey - 2014 Getty Images This is what someone looks like who's looking for trouble: Holtby doesn't just switch to Felix "Quälix" Magath for the second time with his transfer to Fulham, but also to a relegated team for the second time. 📸 Clint Hughes - 2014 Getty Images Fulham has to go down to the second league as 19th, and Holtby also misses the 2014 World Cup. And what does someone do who could actually use a break after a career that's already been so eventful? Of course: He switches to Hamburger Sportverein. Where he takes everything with him again. 📸 Matthias Hangst - 2015 Getty Images First, two successful relegation dramas in 2015 and 2018, then the first Hamburg Bundesliga relegation in 2018. Holtby's third career relegation. 📸 Lars Baron - 2018 Getty Images Things continue in a similarly bitter way. In 2018/19, Holtby and HSV not only miss promotion but also narrowly miss the cup final after a semifinal defeat against RB Leipzig. After not being promoted with HSV, Holtby remains clubless for a while before being signed by English second-division club Blackburn Rovers in September. 📸 Lewis Storey - 2020 Getty Images In his two years at Blackburn, Holtby experiences not only that football without fans is crap during the Corona period but also how tough the second league in England is. His contract is not extended at the end of the 2020/21 season. He switches to Kiel on a free transfer. 📸 Cathrin Mueller - 2024 Getty Images With Holtby as a key player, promotion is achieved in 2024. Six years after the HSV relegation, he returns to the Bundesliga with the Störche. What also means: Career relegation number four a year later. 📸 Selim Sudheimer - 2025 Getty Images Today, Lewis Holtby's probably last Bundesliga game is on the agenda. You'd think that someone with a career with so many ups and downs would have had enough by now, but Holtby recently told the 'kicker' that he's not done yet: "I'll definitely keep playing. I want to enjoy the time as long as my body allows it." In other words: Something's coming his way for sure. 📸 Selim Sudheimer - 2025 Getty Images
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
SV Hamburg clinch Bundesliga return after seven years in 2nd tier
Hamburg fans storm the pitch to celebrate the team's promotion to the 1st Bundesliga, after the German second Bundesliga soccer match between Hamburger SV and SSV Ulm 1846 at Volkspark stadium. Marcus Brandt/dpa Former European champions SV Hamburg stormed back into the Bundesliga after seven agonising years in the second division with an emphatic 6-1 triumph over now relegated Ulm. Ulm led from Tom Gaal in the seventh minute but their fate was effectively sealed when after Ludovit Reis had levelled in the 10th they failed to convert a penalty from Selim Telalovic in the 36th. Advertisement Hamburg pounced immediately to lead 3-1 at the half from Ransford Königsdörffer in the 42nd and Davie Selke in stoppage time. A bizarre own goal from Philipp Strompf four minutes after the restart ended all doubts, Königsdorffer added a classy second in the 62nd before Daniel Elfadli wrapped up matters late on in front of an ecstatic 57,000-strong crowd. Hamburg won three Bundesliga titles, the German Cup, the European Cup and the Cup Winners' Cup in their heydays in the late 1970s and first half of the 1980s wit5h a team including Kevin Keegan, Felix Magath and Manfred Kaltz. But in 2018 they became the last founding member of the Bundesliga in 1963 to be relegated. They failed six times to return into the top flight, finishing fourth on four occasions and third twice before losing play-off ties. Advertisement Part of it was down to their "April curse" or "promotion jitters" in the form of late collapses. It happened again when they managed just one point from the three final April games, but other teams in a tight promotion race also faltered and Hamburg got back on winning tracks last weekend with a 4-0 in Darmstadt. The team of young coach Melvin Polzin, who took over from Steffen Baumgart late last year, secured promotion with one game to spare. They are one point ahead of Cologne who also close to instant promotion back, with Elversberg four points back in the play-off spot in their bid to become the first club in 32 years from the small south-western state of Saarland to reach the top flight.
