Klaus-Michael Kühne backs Felix Magath’s comeback at Hamburger SV. Various roles conceivable for 70-year-old.

Investor Klaus-Michael Kühne has a clear idea of who can lead Hamburger SV back into the Bundesliga: Felix Magath. “If it were up to me, I would immediately hire Mr. Magath as coach or sports director,” said Kühne recently in an interview with Sky.

Kühne sharply criticized those responsible at HSV. “Felix Magath has been my preferred candidate for years, but I was unable to convince the HSV managers. Unfortunately, I am just an uninfluential fan who has to watch how HSV is incapable of acting in every respect,” said the 86-year-old, who owns 15.21 percent of HSV Fußball AG. Following the departure of coach Tim Walter, former assistant coach Merlin Polzin will initially be in charge of HSV in the game at Hansa Rostock on Saturday (1pm/Sky). Steffen Baumgart and Raphael Wicky are being touted as candidates for the coaching position.

Magath played for HSV and worked as manager, assistant coach and coach for the Hamburg club after his professional career ended. As a coach, the now 70-year-old won the championship with VfL Wolfsburg in 2009 and previously with FC Bayern Munich in 2005 and 2006. Turbulent years at Schalke 04 Magath was once also active at FC Schalke 04. He became coach and manager of the Royal Blues in 2010. The new strong man was supposed to satisfy the eternal longing for the championship title. The runner-up finish in his first season confirmed the plan.

But in the second season, Magath divided the club: there were the believers who continued to trust him even as the team moved closer to the relegation zone, and there were the critics who had had enough of his striving for power and his methods. The second group included many employees in the office – and the team council, who successfully made their voices heard by the head of the supervisory board, Clemens Tönnies. Magath’s purchasing policy followed the principle of trial and error, with more and more players being brought in, including ageing stars such as Ali Karimi and Angelos Charisteas at short notice. Desperate transfers that inflated the squad – which led Clemens Tönnies to joke that Schalke now needed “an articulated bus” for its squad. The separation was sealed in March 2011