by Oliver Trust
BERLIN, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Felix Magath in his career often relied on his instincts and this time the 68-year-old called his predictions "my gut feeling".
Returning from retirement, taking over struggling Hertha BSC, the former Chinese Super League coach spoke about a relegation battle against the Hamburger SV as if it was an inevitable fact.
It seems not a small irony for Magath, who had been connected to no other club as intense as to the HSV in his career as a coach, sporting director, and player, to find himself ahead of two delicate duels against his life-time-love.
This Thursday evening and upcoming Monday the Bundesliga's 16th-place is crossing swords with the second division's third-place finisher.
"I might have predicted we will end up against the HSV, but these games remain exceptionally challenging for me," the former Bayern coach said.
Hamburg for some reason is Magath's favorite side as no other club affected his life as much as the Hanseatic Sports club did.
"This is the club I am interested in most," Magath admitted after attending a training camp with Hertha in the Olympic training center in Kienbaum near Berlin.
The gifted midfielders' name is indelibly connected to the HSV's biggest achievements such as the winner of the 1977 European Cup of Cup Winners and the 1983 Champions League triumph.
Aside from three national Championships in the club's shirt, Magath later served as sporting director and head coach taking the German Cup.
After Hamburg's fatal journey down to the second division in 2018 Magath always spoke about his heart's desire to see the club returning to the first tier.
"The HSV has been a significant chapter in my life as a footballer and coach, but these games now are not about me, they are about Hertha and the goal to stay in the Bundesliga," Magath said.
When speaking about his emotional moments in his life, the former Shandong Luneng coach often sounds like a remote observer.
It might be his strategy to always stick to a highly professional attitude. Ahead of the delicate challenges, the 1980 European champion doesn't change his approach.
To get everyone's feet behind the line, the 43 capped gathered his squad behind closed doors in Kienbaum, a place equipped with modern training facilities but far from being a luxury resort.
After arrival, the Hertha coach started his mental work by announcing that Hertha has proved its first division qualities "as we gave Dortmund a hard nut to crack in our last season game. We narrowly lost to the league's second by 2-1."
Better than most, Magath seems to know to secure the first-tier participation comes near an exceptional mental challenge.
Statistics don't help when action is in progress on the pitch, the Hertha coach is insisting. Since the German association initiated the duels of first and second division sides to increase attention, the first-tier clubs took the majority of victories.
This time, Magath might raise his arms and celebrate when crossing the finish line while his heart is telling him a different story. ■
