Felix Magath rejoined VfL Wolfsburg Friday less than two years after he led the club to their first Bundesliga title and two days after he was sacked by Schalke 04.
Magath was in charge of training Friday afternoon after he appeared before the press wearing once again the green tie of the Volkswagen-backed club.
"I was immediately dead keen. I didn't hesitate a second," said Magath on the surprise approach by Wolfsburg, who two years after their Bundeslia title have dropped into the relegation zone.
Magath will take over from interim coach Pierre Littbarski in what has been a turbulent week for several Bundesliga sides and continues the high fluctuation of coaches in the German league this season. Magath was the eighth coach to lose his job prematurely.
Three teams - Wolfsburg, SV Hamburg and Schalke - will have new coaches on the bench at the weekend, while Bayern Munich will also be dropping Louis van Gaal at the end of the season.
Littbarski had been in charge at Wolfsburg since the dismissal of Steve McClaren early last month, but has not been able to reverse a decline which has seen six defeats in seven games.
Now Magath will take Wolfsburg Sunday to fellow strugglers VfB Stuttgart, a club that has had three coaches this season and are two points ahead of Wolfsburg after three successive wins.
Wolfsburg also decided to part company with sports manager Dieter Hoeness after just over a year. Magath will fill his role.
Magath led Wolfsburg to the Bundesliga title in 2009 before joining Schalke on a four-year contract, with the Gelsenkirchen club wanting the former midfield international to do a similar job.
That all ended in acrimony this week in a power struggle with supervisory board chairman Clemens Toennies and complaints from some of the players.
Magath had also alienated a section of the club's fans, despite Schalke now being Germany's only representative in Europe - up against Inter Milan in the quarter-finals of the Champions League - and the final of the German Cup.
Following his dismissal Wednesday, Schalke Thursday appointed Ralf Rangnick who left Hoffenheim at the start of the year, but co-trainer Seppo Eichkorn will be in charge Sunday at Bayer Leverkusen.
Magath said he had always felt at home at Wolfsburg and was glad to be given the chance to return.
"Of course, the contact two days ago was a surprise but I didn't hesitate a second. Then everything went tremendously quickly," he said.
Magath has signed until the end of June 2013 but said he would be interested in a longer-term engagement.
"The issue is not where we are ending this season but where we will be in two years," he said.
Meanwhile SV Hamburg will be led Saturday by co-trainer Michael Oenning for the visit of Cologne following Armin Veh's sacking. Bayer Leverkusen's Jupp Heynckes is expected to reveal his plans next week amid reports he could be joining Bayern for next season.
The constant changes of coaches is being looked at critically in the league. Van Gaal said "the world is crazy" and hinted that it was leading to unfair competition.
"I played for example against Wolfsburg with another coach, and a coach is also decisive for a team." he said.
Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said: "What is happening at the moment is not good for (the league's) image. I see this with a certain negative effect."
Magath was in charge of training Friday afternoon after he appeared before the press wearing once again the green tie of the Volkswagen-backed club.
"I was immediately dead keen. I didn't hesitate a second," said Magath on the surprise approach by Wolfsburg, who two years after their Bundeslia title have dropped into the relegation zone.
Magath will take over from interim coach Pierre Littbarski in what has been a turbulent week for several Bundesliga sides and continues the high fluctuation of coaches in the German league this season. Magath was the eighth coach to lose his job prematurely.
Three teams - Wolfsburg, SV Hamburg and Schalke - will have new coaches on the bench at the weekend, while Bayern Munich will also be dropping Louis van Gaal at the end of the season.
Littbarski had been in charge at Wolfsburg since the dismissal of Steve McClaren early last month, but has not been able to reverse a decline which has seen six defeats in seven games.
Now Magath will take Wolfsburg Sunday to fellow strugglers VfB Stuttgart, a club that has had three coaches this season and are two points ahead of Wolfsburg after three successive wins.
Wolfsburg also decided to part company with sports manager Dieter Hoeness after just over a year. Magath will fill his role.
Magath led Wolfsburg to the Bundesliga title in 2009 before joining Schalke on a four-year contract, with the Gelsenkirchen club wanting the former midfield international to do a similar job.
That all ended in acrimony this week in a power struggle with supervisory board chairman Clemens Toennies and complaints from some of the players.
Magath had also alienated a section of the club's fans, despite Schalke now being Germany's only representative in Europe - up against Inter Milan in the quarter-finals of the Champions League - and the final of the German Cup.
Following his dismissal Wednesday, Schalke Thursday appointed Ralf Rangnick who left Hoffenheim at the start of the year, but co-trainer Seppo Eichkorn will be in charge Sunday at Bayer Leverkusen.
Magath said he had always felt at home at Wolfsburg and was glad to be given the chance to return.
"Of course, the contact two days ago was a surprise but I didn't hesitate a second. Then everything went tremendously quickly," he said.
Magath has signed until the end of June 2013 but said he would be interested in a longer-term engagement.
"The issue is not where we are ending this season but where we will be in two years," he said.
Meanwhile SV Hamburg will be led Saturday by co-trainer Michael Oenning for the visit of Cologne following Armin Veh's sacking. Bayer Leverkusen's Jupp Heynckes is expected to reveal his plans next week amid reports he could be joining Bayern for next season.
The constant changes of coaches is being looked at critically in the league. Van Gaal said "the world is crazy" and hinted that it was leading to unfair competition.
"I played for example against Wolfsburg with another coach, and a coach is also decisive for a team." he said.
Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said: "What is happening at the moment is not good for (the league's) image. I see this with a certain negative effect."
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