Felix Magath: the distant god-emperor. Former Germany international Felix Magath coached numerous Bundesliga clubs. He rescued Stuttgart and Frankfurt from relegation in 2000 and 2001, made Wolfsburg sensational champions in 2009, and then moved on to Gelsenkirchen.
Many on Schalke thought success was now guaranteed. Magath then bought half the transfer market, bringing in 32 new players, among them men like Ali Karimi and Angelos Charisteas, whose presence even he might have struggled to explain. Initially, it worked: Schalke finished runners-up in 2010 and reached the Champions League.
But in 2010/11 they made their worst start since 1967 – one win in the first ten matches – and the god-emperor, who effectively controlled himself as coach and manager, had to go. Schalke breathed out in relief.