Mark Fotheringham bringing 'fire and passion' to Hertha Berlin as coach thrown in at the deep end

Mark Fotheringham has vowed to bring “fire and passion” after being thrown into the Hertha Berlin hot seat this weekend.

The Scot went in as No. 2 to Felix Magath this week but the head coach has tested positive for covid.

It means Fotheringham will take the Hertha first-team as they look to take on Hoffenheim in their fight for Bundesliga survival.

Fotheringham admitted: “We had a clear idea in the coaching staff of what we wanted to do and achieve this week.

“It's important that we convert the good training work into conviction, which we also see on the pitch on Saturday.

“We're tackling the important game against Hoffenheim together - with the entire staff, the entire club.

“What matters is what we do in the here and now: we have to bring fire and passion into everything we do together.”

Hertha are second bottom of the league and take on European-chasing Hoffenheim in the Olympic Stadium. Fotheringham has been working with his squad most of the week, while Magath spoke to them on-line the day he tested positive.

Fotheringham added: “It's not an easy situation but my focus is just what we can do on the pitch this weekend.

“We have had good sessions, I'm very happy with that.

“There's a good mix of young and experienced players in the team, which is important.

“They were wide awake to everything we prepared. Now we have to put that on the pitch – we want to get those three points for Hertha!”

Fotheringham reunited with former Fulham boss Magath at the Bundesliga side after turning down the opportunity to work with former Celtic hero Neil Lennon in Cyprus.

Veteran coach Magath has won three Bundesliga titles with Bayern Munich and Wolfsburg, as well as scoring the winning goal against Juventus for Hamburg in the 1983