He also gained 43 international caps for the West Germany national team, winning UEFA Euro 1980 and reaching two consecutive World Cup finals.

He spent the following ten seasons with Hamburg, and from his debut in 1976 to his retirement he scored 46 goals in 306 games in the West German top flight.

[8] A talented, creative, and intelligent diminutive playmaker, with an eye for goal, Magath normally played either as an attacking or central midfielder, and was an elegant player on the ball, who possessed excellent technical skills, vision, and stamina, despite his lack of significant pace and his stocky physique.

He was also a strong passer and striker of the ball with his left foot,[9][10][11][12] and stood out for his work-rate on the pitch, as well as his ability to interpret the game.

[16] Having suffered a career-ending knee injury, Magath retired shortly after the 1986 World Cup and became general manager for his former club Hamburg.

FC Saarbrücken (November 1989 to June 1990), as well as Bayer Uerdingen (July 1990 to January 1992), who were relegated from the first tier during Magath's time at the club.

[27] In the following years, Magath acquired a reputation as the fireman,[28] coming in at difficult times at a club and leading it to salvation.

[34] Magath bounced back with what was to become one of his most successful stints when he took over fellow relegation battlers VfB Stuttgart a few weeks after.

[42] In his first season, Magath was able to lead his team to victory in both the league and cup, completing the double, a feat which would be repeated in 2005–06, the first time ever in the competition's history.

[43] However, after a slow start to the 2006–07 season, with the team mired in fourth place which would not qualify them for the Champions League, Magath was sacked on 31 January 2007.

[47] Before the season 2008–09 had ended, Magath agreed on a four-year contract with Schalke 04, again as both head coach and director of football, starting on 1 July 2009.

[51] Only 48 hours later, on 18 March, Magath once again signed with now relegation-battling VfL Wolfsburg,[52] the side he had previously led to the league title in 2009.

[56] On 15 March, Fulham won their first match with Magath in charge against Newcastle United, with Dejagah being the lone scorer.

[60] He started the 2014–15 season with four consecutive losses to Ipswich Town,[61] Millwall,[62] Wolverhampton Wanderers[63] and Derby County.

He eventually took the job at Shandong Luneng Taishan, replacing former Brazil national football team manager Mano Menezes.

[72] He led Shandong throughout the 2017 Chinese Super League, finishing 6th, but left the club shortly after the end of the season.

[80] As a manager, Magath quickly gained respect and became known for his hard, grinding training methods, laying heavy emphasis on discipline, fitness and conditioning.

[84] After leaving Fulham in September 2014, bizarre stories emerged about how Magath had suggested that Brede Hangeland rub cheese on a thigh injury.

[85] Magath stated that Hangeland did not have a thigh injury but an inflammation of the knee, and that he suggested the additional use of an alternative treatment with a bandage (dressing) consisting of Quark.

[86] Fulham player Sascha Riether later said that the story was greatly exaggerated and that Magath had suggested he use a traditional topfen curd.

[87][88][89] Magath is the son of a Puerto Rican former soldier in the United States Army stationed in Aschaffenburg and a German mother.