A club spokesman said that he could not confirm the report, which said the 20-times German champions would appoint Hitzfeld until the end of the season.

Magath replaced Hitzfeld in July 2004 and guided the club to league and cup doubles in each of his first two seasons in charge.

Bayern sold midfielder and Germany captain Michael Ballack to Chelsea at the end of last season and their form this term has suffered as a result.

They finished the first half of the campaign in third place in the Bundesliga, three points behind Werder Bremen and Schalke 04.

They have managed just a point from their two matches since the restart, a 3-2 defeat at Borussia Dortmund and a goalless draw at home to relegation candidates Bochum on Tuesday.

Those two results have left them in fourth place, and they will slip eight points off the pace if one or both of the co-leaders win their league matches on Wednesday night.

In fact, Magath wrote off the side's chances of making up the distance in the wake of Tuesday's home draw with Bochum.

"We don't need to talk about the title any more," Magath told reporters. "We have to make sure of getting second or third."

Bayern are also out of the German Cup after losing to modest Alemannia Aachen in December.

They do remain in with a chance of winning the European Cup -- a competition they last won under Hitzfeld in 2001 with a second round Champions League tie to come against Real Madrid.