Schalke's Magath skips training as future in doubt

Posted Thursday, March 10, 2011 by YAHOO Sport

BERLIN (AFP) - The morning after his side reached the last eight of the Champions League with a 3-1 win over Valencia, Schalke coach Felix Magath missed training on Thursday amid reports he is set to be fired.

Goals either side of half-time by winger Jefferson Farfan and striker Mario Gavranovic sealed the home win as Schalke fought back after Valencia took an early lead through Ricardo Costa.

But despite having steered Schalke to the quarter-finals for only the third time in their history, Magath's future at the club remains in doubt.

"We need to pull the emergency cord, totally independently from the Champions League," Schalke chairman Clemens Toennies told German magazine Kicker.

"Things are ablaze at the club behind the scenes."

In the build-up to Wednesday night's victory at the Veltins Arena, which sealed a 4-2 aggregate win, the German media was full of reports of Magath's imminent departure, but the coach insisted he is staying.

"It's not interesting for me what the papers say," he said on Wednesday.

"I have a contract until 2013."

On Thursday morning, Magath's assistants Seppo Eichkorn and Bernd Hollerbach took training, which is not unusual after a big game.

Magath arrived after training began and left round midday, without making comment and stopped only briefly to pose for a few photos with fans.

According to the club, Magath will field questions during Friday's press conference the day before Schalke face Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga.