Felix Magath speaks on his 70th birthday about the DFB's misguided development - fans agree with him

Felix Magath, also better known as "Quälix", has turned 70. To coincide with the publication of his new book "Gegensätzliches", he is currently giving many interviews in which he talks about German football. And the feared football coach has nothing good to say about it, criticising the training of young players at the DFB in particular. He also commented on the current situation of Hamburger SV, for whom he was active both as a player and as a coach for several years. With this in mind, FanQ wanted to know from fans in Germany whether he was right in his assessment of youth training at the DFB and whether HSV would play first-class football again with him as coach.

"We don't demand enough performance."

Felix Magath has strong opinions. This is also true when it comes to German football as a whole, but the 70-year-old is particularly critical of the DFB's promotion of young talent. When asked about these problems, Magath always has clear answers at the ready. "Talking about the problems of German football? We would actually need several hours for that," he said in an interview. As a coach, Felix Magath is "old school"; for him, things like the will to win, hard work and performance come first. The team's success must be paramount in order to achieve the desired goals. After the World Cup title in 2014, the national team did not develop any further and things tended to go downhill. Magath made it clear: "I already criticised the youth development work in 2011. When I hear twelve years later that no strikers or centre-backs are coming through, I think to myself: what a miracle." He also criticised the lack of ambition on the part of those responsible: "We don't demand enough performance. The training in the youth academies has made the players uncompetitive internationally for years." In this context, FanQ wanted to know from the fans how they see this problem. It is clear that an overwhelming proportion of respondents (83.15 %) agree with his criticism and believe the DFB is on the wrong track. Only 1.12 % of respondents do not share this opinion.

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He also believes that clubs and associations do not talk enough about football, with marketing and inclusion having become priorities. But "Quälix" doesn't just hold those responsible, but also the players accountable: "If I earn tens of millions from playing football, then I don't need to earn anything on the side." He is convinced that his training methods and values for the sport can still help any team today, whether nationally or internationally. He last proved this at Hertha BSC Berlin when he saved the traditional Berlin club in last year's relegation play-off. Ironically, it was against his old favourite club HSV, which is still stuck in the second Bundesliga. Magath has already been in contact with the HSV management on several occasions, but apparently without finding a common denominator. "I was approached three times by the supervisory board in recent years and declared my willingness before and after relegation. Unfortunately, HSV is still playing in the 2nd division," he told "Kicker". FanQ therefore asked the fans whether Hamburger SV would already be playing in the first division again with Felix Magath as coach. The respondents are divided on this, with 37.86 % believing that HSV would be back in the top flight under his leadership. On the other hand, 42.72 % of respondents believe that even he could not have changed the status quo.