Before Friday evening's away game at FC Schalke 04, www.vfb.de spoke with the trainer and manager of the ‘Knappen', Felix Magath, about his young side, Schalke's targets, and his memories of VfB.
Mr. Magath, last weekend, following Schalke's 4-1 win in Frankfurt, the media declared your team to be ‘Winner of the Match-Day', as Bayern took just one point and Leverkusen lost. Would you agree?
Felix Magath: "First and foremost, we are delighted that we managed to get our first away win of the year 2010 in Frankfurt. I wouldn't consider us to be winners though, we still have too many games ahead of us. The win in Frankfurt stabilised us ahead of some tough tasks in the coming weeks."
Do you count this Friday evening's home game against VfB as one of those tough tasks in the coming weeks?
Felix Magath: "No question! The game against VfB will be very difficult, after all, they are the second best team in the league since the winter break and it wasn't just in Bremen last weekend that they showed how strong they are away from home."
Is the Bundesliga title a theme at Schalke?
Felix Magath: "No, certainly not for the team or for me. After the game against VfB we will have to face further teams that are high up in the table. We must travel to Hamburg, host Leverkusen and then subsequently take on FC Bayern. At the end of the season we want to be in one of the top five places so that we are sure of a European qualifying place for next season. There is still a very long way to go though."
What still connects you to VfB , almost six years after you left Stuttgart?
Felix Magath: "Stuttgart is the place where I was trainer for the longest time in my career thus far. Personally, my time as trainer in Stuttgart was something of a turning point for me. I went to VfB with the reputation as being a ‘Rescuer'. At VfB Stuttgart, I took on the double role as trainer/manager for the first time and I like to think back on the successful time I had there."
