GERMANY: FOOTBALL/SOCCER - Schalke 04 coach Felix Magath says he is determined to stay in his job and honour his contract

Record ID: 738060

  • Title: GERMANY: FOOTBALL/SOCCER - Schalke 04 coach Felix Magath says he is determined to stay in his job and honour his contract
  • Date: 12th March 2011
  • Summary: GELSENKIRCHEN, GERMANY (MARCH 11, 2011) (REUTERS) SCHALKE 04 COACH FELIX MAGATH ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE AND SITTING DOWN (*** FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY ***) SCHALKE LOGO MAGATH SEATED REPORTERS (SOUNDBITE) (German) SCHALKE COACH, FELIX MAGATH, SAYING: "I will continue to work and try to have as much success as possible with Schalke and I will continue to honour my contract." CAMERAMAN FILMING (SOUNDBITE) (German) SCHALKE COACH, FELIX MAGATH, SAYING: "In my view, there could have been a discussion beforehand to see what comes out of such a discussion before (gestures) going public with details." CAMERAMAN FILMING (SOUNDBITE) (German) SCHALKE COACH, FELIX MAGATH, SAYING: "I did not decide to fire (Schalke director of communications) Rolf Dittrich. My son told me last night that there were reports on television about Rolf Dittrich having been fired. Of course I immediately called Rolf Dittrich and he told me that he knew nothing about it." CAMERA (SOUNDBITE) (German) SCHALKE COACH, FELIX MAGATH, SAYING: "The club has always been a very difficult one in the Bundesliga. I knew that when I accepted the job here and that's exactly why I came. Fans also show up come hell or high water or when the roof is broken. Why should I as coach only show up when the sun is out?" WIDE OF NEWS CONFERENCE PHOTOGRAPHERS TAKING PICTURES MAGATH GETTING UP
  • Embargoed: 27th March 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Germany
  • Country: Germany
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA8HRA7W55GZJ1WGAOX6H0S6P72
  • Story Text: Schalke 04 coach Felix Magath said on Friday (March 11) he would see out his contract despite widespread reports he was on his way out at the end of the season.
    "I will continue to work and try to have as much success as possible with Schalke and I will continue to honour my contract," Magath said two days after steering his team to the Champions League quarter-finals for only the second time.
    Prior to that game and with last season's runners-up Schalke languishing in mid-table in the Bundesliga, club boss Clemens Toennies had said the club "needs to draw a line right independent of the Champions League run. The club is on fire."
    But following their qualification, club bosses refused to comment on Magath's future with Toennies saying there would be a meeting between him and Magath in the coming days.
    "In my view, there could have been a discussion beforehand to see what comes out of such a discussion before going public with details," Magath told reporters prior to their Bundesliga game against Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday.
    Magath may have narrowly avoided the axe, but his close associate Rolf Dittrich, who was the club spokesman, was sacked on Friday (March 11).
    "My son told me last night that there were reports on television about Rolf Dittrich having been fired. Of course I immediately called Rolf Dittrich and he told me that he knew nothing about it."
    Magath has also been fighting a running battle with supporters for months, ever since edging out the fan representative on the board.
    Schalke's run to the German Cup final last week and their Champions League success, however, have greatly improved the atmosphere as did a Facebook page dedicated to Magath that already had close to 170,000 friends.
    "The club has always been a very difficult one in the Bundesliga. I knew that when I accepted the job here and that's exactly why I came," said Magath, who has won Bundesliga titles as coach of Bayern Munich and VfL Wolfsburg.
    "Fans also show up come hell or high water or when the roof is broken. Why should I as coach only show up when the sun is out?," he said.
    Schalke, last season's Bundesliga runners-up, are in 10th place, five points off the relegation playoff spot, and face Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday (March 12).
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