Basel coach Christian Gross’s motivational speech to Hakan Yakin

Unforgettable

Christian Gross motivates Hakaaaan to the tip of his feet and we can see

May 9, 2002: Swiss television broadcasts a documentary film about FC Basel, which is on its way to becoming the first championship title in modern times. In particular, a break from coach Christian Gross is remembered.

Eight championship titles in a row between 2010 and 2017: Until YB started shooting up, FC Basel was the measure of all things in Swiss club soccer. The times when the red-blue itself was one of those that do not have are not far away.

It was not until 2002 that the FCB won the first title of modern times, and a delightful video also dates from this period. It shows coach Christian Gross’s halftime speech in the second leg of the UI Cup final at Aston Villa in August 2001, which he received with little enthusiasm from his star Hakan Yakin:

But pausing for Yakin and praising others is of no use. On the contrary: the 1-0 lead at Villa Park becomes 1: 4 and the FCB have to remove the qualification for the UEFA Cup.

The long way

FCB’s successes were rare at the time: FC Basel had to wait for a championship title since 1980. The club spends sad years in National League B; The Champions League appearances against Liverpool, Barcelona and Bayern Munich are far, far away. The reality is Urania Geneva, Etoile Carouge or FC Bulle.

After returning to the NLA in 1994, three personal details and one property were essential to make FC Basel the undisputed number 1 in the country:

• In November 1996, René C. Jäggi was elected President.
• In the summer of 1999, Christian Gross was hired as a coach.
• In October 1999, billionaire Gigi Oeri was appointed to the board.
• In 2001 FC Basel moved to the newly built St. Jakob Park.

Businessman Jäggi is initially bogged down by the commitment of several Bundesliga players such as Franco Foda, Markus Schupp or Maurizio Gaudino, only Oliver Kreuzer attacks. But it still handles change on time.

Gross commitment is the key to success. The Zurich-based player led GC in 1995 as the first Swiss club to enter the Champions League, which subsequently brought him to Tottenham Hotspur. And because Jäggi gets billionaire Oeri on board, FCB no longer has to worry about money.

The most successful era in Swiss football

While the sensational FC St.Gallen was too strong in the 1999/2000 season and the Grasshoppers became champions the following year, the first big hour of “new” FC Basel came in 2002. Red-blue won the title with a ten point advantage over GC.

It is the beginning of the most successful era in Swiss soccer. Since then, FC Basel has followed eleven other championship titles, won the cup seven times, won regularly in the Champions League, and reached the Europa League semi-finals in 2013.

Big happy again

Christian Gross is also successful again today. After having to go through the fund for a few years, in 2009 he was released in Basel, failed at the VfB Stuttgart and at the YB, since 2014 he worked twice for the Saudi club Al-Ahli.

Gross, a nine-time coach of the year in Switzerland, wins the cup in the first season and the championship title in the second. As with FCB, Al-Ahli also has to wait a long time: for the club it is the first championship title in 32 years. Gross now has no coaching job. Her last engagement with Al-Ahli ended in February.