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Mr. Gross, how many times have you thought in the last few weeks: Why did I become Schalke myself?
Christian Gross: In all honesty: never. I want to make the almost impossible possible. This is my mission.
What were the days in December when you decided to take on this assignment?
Sports director Jochen Schneider and I vaguely swapped in mid to late fall. He asked if it could be a problem for me without being specific. Later we meet in Basel because it is geographically good.
Basically, he gave up his resignation. Did it take a lot to convince you to come back?
That is not quite correct. I’ve always said that I come back to it when something very special comes up. And Schalke is something very special. It was the third request of this club: the legendary coach Rudi Assauer used to meet me in Zurich and two years ago there was contact. I was in Angola with my Egyptian club and it didn’t fit in. After the conversation in Basel, I asked for a week to think about it and I felt: now I want to do it. I just said to myself: this opportunity will never come back in my professional life.
Nine points behind is the deficit in a relegation spot. That doesn’t seem to catch up.
However, I always try to emphasize the positive. Those familiar with the scene, including you, see the development as positive. The question is whether there will be enough time. Because there isn’t much left of him.
Is it the hardest part of your coaching career?
Y.
You used to tell players to make an effort for business cards. Let these successes be written on it. You could say “relegated to Schalke 04” in the summer. Didn’t anyone tell you: it’s not worth it?
The more you get involved in such discussions, the more controversial the opinions will be.
Didn’t anyone tell you how broken this team is?
The equipment is not broken. He hadn’t won in a year, yeah. It is clear then that he lacks confidence. We are trying to get it back little by little. I realized that the team had very little experience and very little personality on the field. But that was before the transfer window, we were able to bring in four new players, including two from Arsenal with Mustafi and Kolasinac and Schalke legend Huntelaar. The players know that they can now do a lot for the lives of the thousands and thousands of Schalke fans.
After the first game at Hertha BSC, Lothar Matthäus immediately criticized you. How did you feel about it?
He is one of many experts. I really appreciate what he has accomplished as a footballer. Look: it’s always easy to say something from a distance. But I always try to surround myself with optimistic people. I can quickly sense when someone is pessimistic. And I distance myself from those people.
Later, the criticisms pointed to the fact that you called Alessandro Schöpf as Massimo Schüpp and Can Bozdogan as Can Erdogan. Why did this happened?
That was my fault. I usually write the missing ones. But I didn’t have time before that press conference. And then I was confused for a moment.
Have you changed in the last few years?
I am a little less stubborn and a little more open, especially when dealing with people.
In Basel, players had to pay according to standards for goals received and received bonuses for goals after idle balls. Did you also present that to Schalke?
No. I told the team: If we’re in the red, I’ll take care of it, because it’s up to me to improve.
His team has already conceded four standard goals.
Unfortunately. But it also has a lot to do with breakdowns, we also had to change over and over again. We have to steer it the right way.
You have worked a lot with symbols. Also at Schalke?
Yes, in GC I ran with the players to the Hardturm and said: This is our strength. In Wil I changed the name of Bergholz Burgholz. But no, I haven’t visualized anything here yet. Sure, the saying “luck” used here applies very well to our situation. And, for example, the materials manager used to work underground, that is, in coal mining. I only always have Basler Läckerli in the booth. They stand in the open air and get tough. We are also eating stale bread at the moment, but if you chew it, it becomes soft. And with the Läckerli, the taste of honey emerges. I hope we can get the honey too.
On Saturday his team will face Urs Fischer and Union Berlin. How do you relate to him?
I don’t know him well, he was at FC Zurich and I was in the general classification – automatically there is distance, there are tracks in between … (laughs) But as a coach he did a great job. He is completely predestined for this business and works with incredible passion.
How do you experience the GC project in China from afar?
It is incredible that the club is not resting. I do not know the reasons in detail. That is why I cannot say more about it. But I would like to say something about FC Zurich …
… You’re welcome.
In the FCZ of the shirt it says: «The club of the city». To me, that’s incredibly presumptuous. I hope this attracts all the reserve GC fans even more, that this team will rise again and that there will be derbies against FCZ. And then should they move into the new Hardturm stadium together?
Niederhasli is simply not a city.
So is. But that’s just a training center.
And how do you follow your other former club, FC Basel?
I follow him from afar. I thought it was good that the goal was clearly formulated before the season, a club like FC Basel has to do it.
At the moment it doesn’t look like a championship title.
At the end of the season you have to take stock of what you have achieved, very clearly.
In the summer it was said that he was close to an engagement at FC Basel, for example as a member of the board of directors.
There was some interest, but it didn’t work out. It should have been done collaboratively. But I also felt that David Degen, who I appreciate very much and who is very committed to FC Basel, wants to go his own way. I also know Bernhard Burgener well, and everyone who accepts that task should be supported. He does it his way, but even he can’t help but take stock. Basler has become demanding and deserves an ambitious club. When I came to GC from Wil, the president said, “Mr. Gross, a title has to be safe. But better both. “So I hope Burgener talks to his coaches too. And sets the bar as high as possible.
Maybe you will join the FCB later?
You never know what the future will bring.
How far were you with your project as a trainer consultant in collaboration with Philipp Degen before Schalke approached you?
I came across a degree of caution because basically all coaches have the feeling that they know how to do it … The crazy thing about our job is simply that the coach is not allowed to make mistakes; otherwise, you will immediately come up with the list. of errors. Every coach clinked glasses, and I was available with absolute discretion.
His association with swords is a topic of conversation in the scene.
Yes, but guess what? He’s super networked in soccer. Without him, Mustafi would not have come to us. He came because Philipp Jürgen Klopp called.
Why Klopp?
Because Philipp knew that Liverpool were looking for a central defender. And he asked if Liverpool were interested in Ozan Kabak, so Philipp knew that Schalke could possibly transfer Kabak to Liverpool and he could take Mustafi to Schalke.
And Schalke, who are not financially a bed of roses, could get 30 million euros for Kabak.
In any case, the Kabak and Mustafi changes came about thanks to the efforts of Philipp Degen. But we are completely independent of each other financially.
Are you clear that you will stop one way or another in the summer and will go back to working with swords?
I’ll leave that open for me. It makes no sense to think beyond the summer. We need points now. Point.
