Magath: "Self confident even against Bayern"

Special meetings, special memories. DFB.de from time to time looks at past match-ups which are relevant to the upcoming matchday. FC Bayern München travel to Wolfsburg on Friday (20:30 CET). Former Bayern and Wolfsburg manager Felix Magath talks about the meeting as well as an incredible 5-1 victory for the Wolves over Bayern, which took place on 4th April 2009.

DFB.de: Mr Magath, on 4th April 2009 you coached Wolfsburg to a 5-1 in over Bayern. Was this key to your eventual title success?

Felix Magath: Yes. We were ninth over Christmas but then started to win games and go on a run. These wins gave us confidence ahead of the game against Bayern. We wanted to beat them.

DFB.de: Bayern, coached by Jürgen Klinsmann, were second in the table at the time, which was one place ahead of you. They brought stars such as Lucio, Lahm, Schweinsteiger, van Bommel, Zé Roberto, Ribéry and Toni to the VW-Arena. Gentner gave you the lead but shortly before the break Toni equalised.

Magath: We knew that we were physically strong but could play too. My team always showed that.

DFB.de: In less than 10 minutes a brace from Dzeko and a goal from Grafite blew Bayern away and made it 4-1. Could you enjoy this?

Magath: A manager does enjoy it when his team scores, but they’re always worried until full time. At 3-1 I was still nervous. Even a 3-1 lead against Bayern can be dangerous – if they score quickly it becomes a tight game. We were hoping and twitching on the bench. However, once it became 4-1 we felt a lot better.

DFB.de: The icing on the cake soon followed. Grafite scored a remarkable goal. He ran through the Bayern defence before backheeling the ball past Rensing and into the goal to make it 5-1.

Magath: It’s incredible that he managed to do that. I certainly could enjoy that goal. I was delighted for Grafite because he was often criticised and sometimes even laughed at. He was Brazilian but wasn’t the most technical of players and cost €8 million, so didn’t come cheap. However, I thought he was worth it. His performances in training and during matches were sensational.

DFB.de: The goal was later voted Goal of the Year. In the final minute you substituted goalkeeper Diego Benaglio and brought on André Lenz. You managed Bayern between 2004 and 2007, so was this a further way of mocking them?

Magath: No, it wasn’t a spontaneous idea. I spoke with André during the winter break. He was our reserve goalkeeper and didn’t earn too much. In his contract he would receive a bonus if he played for the first team.

DFB.de: So why did you bring him on against Bayern?

Magath: It had nothing to do with the fact we were playing Bayern. André was performing well and contributing to the mood in the camp. I had also told him that if we were leading a game clearly than I would bring him on for the final few minutes.

DFB.de: So you had no qualms about bringing him on? It looked like you wanted to humiliate Bayern.

Magath: That wasn’t the case; it was simply the best chance to bring him on. I didn’t know if I would have a similar chance again. I considered bringing him on once we made it 4-1.

DFB.de: Bayern seemed to be more humiliated by the change than the scoreline…

Magath: I have never understood why Bayern were so offended by the scenario. I wasn’t aiming to humiliate them.

DFB.de: Back to the Wolves. Was the side that won the title in 2009 the best one in the club’s history?

Magath: I think so. Grafite was named Footballer of the Year and Dzeko was the second highest scorer in the league. Zvjezdan Misimovic created the most goals in the league. We played some sparkling attacking football. We had good players, but unlike Bayern we had no star names. We had the right balance between attack and defence. Everyone worked well together.

DFB.de: The only players remaining from that squad are Diego Benaglio and Marcel Schäfer.

Magath: The team has slowly but surely changed under Dieter Hecking. After Bayern, VfL have invested the most into the team. Benaglio and Naldo are experienced players at the back. Luiz Gustavo and Kevin de Bruyne are too excellent players and of course there is Ivica Olic. Despite his age, he’s still an excellent goalscorer. Unfortunately, he gets injured quite a lot but he’s still an important part of the team.

DFB.de: On Friday the Bundesliga returns and Wolfsburg face Bayern. Second against first. Can VfL inflict Bayern’s first defeat of the season upon them?

Magath: Obviously. If Wolfsburg win, they make the league exciting once again.

DFB.de: A win would narrow the gap to eight points...

Magath: It’s unlikely that anyone will stop Bayern winning the league, even if Wolfsburg win. If Bayern win on Friday it’s done and dusted. Except for VfL, no one has come close to Bayern this season. Bayern’s position at the top can only be endangered by Wolfsburg. They are second in the table and not by fluke, they fully deserve it.

DFB.de: Considering the squad and the budget, a Champions League place should be expected. Do you agree?

Magath: I would be surprised if they didn’t finish in the top four.