“Schalke can still hold the league”

For coach icon Felix Magath, Schalke 04’s fight against relegation from the Bundesliga is not yet hopeless. “There is still almost half a season to play. Of course Schalke can still hold the league,” Magath told the newspapers Funk media group looking at his ex-team.

On Friday evening (8.30 p.m. / DAZN) the tail light takes on VfL Wolfsburg, with whom Magath won the championship in 2009. For the 69-year-old, his own supporters could play a central role in Schalke’s fight to stay up in the league: “When fans and team are as one, victories are possible, especially in the home stadium.”

The draw at Borussia Mönchengladbach – for Magath “pure relegation battle” could have been “the turning point.” For this, however, the offensive must also be increased urgently.

Magath, on the other hand, spoke more negatively about the time two years ago when Schalke were relegated to the second division in the 2020/21 season without a murmur. S04 ended the season last with only 16 points. As Magath indicated, Schalke had thought about bringing the ex-coach back.

“There were people who were of the opinion that they would rather not stay in the Bundesliga before Magath could keep us in the league,” Magath criticized without going into detail who he meant by that. Instead of Magath, who worked at Schalke from 2009 to 2011, David Wagner, Manuel Baum, Huub Stevens, Christian Gross and Dimitrios Grammozis were on the coaching bench in the relegation season.