German Magath vows to lift CSL giants Shandong Luneng out of relegation zone (updated)

Shandong Luneng's newly appointed coach Felix Magath vowed on Tuesday to lift the three-time Chinese Super League champions out of the relegation zone.

"I am glad to take over Luneng. I have abundant and successful experiences in coaching big clubs, saving several German clubs from relegation. I hope to continue that in Luneng," said the 62-year-old German when he was officially presented to the media Tuesday afternoon.

"I cannot assure you a title for Luneng based on its current status, but I will try hard, and I hope to continue Luneng's glory," he added.

Luneng, which won the Chinese Super League titles in 2006, 2008 and 2010, named Magath as their new head coach on June 8, one day after Brazilian Mano Menzes resigned from the post following a string of poor performance.

Luneng won only two matches after 12 rounds in the 2016 season and now sit 15th in the league standings, just above bottom side Changchun Yatai.

Magath is one of the most successful coaches in Germany. He helped Bayern Munich win back-to-back Bundesliga titles in the 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 seasons, before steering Wolfsburg to domestic triumph in the 2008-2009 season.

Magath is best known for his demanding training methods and discipline, which earned him a lot of admiration as well as criticism.

"I do not think their is any idea of most popular football philosophy. My philosophy is to improve my players constantly and win the game one by one," he said.

Li Xiaopeng, a coaching staff at Luneng, expressed high expectations on Magath.

"His training philosophy will help the players build up a strong character," said Li.

Luneng didn't give details of the contract. Endit