Oliver Dzuba
FC Basel have risen in popularity and fame over the past decade, winning domestic titles aplenty and making a name for Swiss football through their 2003/2004 Champions League run. They are arguably the strongest team in Switzerland earning such a distinction by their many successes in the Swiss Super League. With rising Swiss stars such as Eren Derdiyok and veteran players such as Scott Chipperfield, it is no wonder that this team is number one in the Alpine nation.
However, there is one man who has played a major role in the success of Basel, that man being Christian Gross, the manager of the Swiss outfit. He is responsible for returning the team to its former glory and for giving the Swiss League the recognition it deserves. He and his coaching staff have made Basel a team all of Switzerland can be proud of, and in the process proving his worth as a manager.
Gross had a modest career in professional football, which included playing in both the domestic league of his native country, Switzerland, and one team in the German Bundesliga. He never played for Basel during his career, however he did play for top Swiss club Grasshopper-Zurich. He played for Swiss teams that are now in both tiers of the Super League, and was only capped once for the Swiss National Team. Although his time as a professional footballer was not the greatest, in no way was it a preview of what was to come in his career as a manager.
In 1988, Gross started coaching at FC Wil, a Swiss club in the 2. Liga. At this club Gross met great success, building a reputation for himself as a hardworking and dedicated manager. This proved to be more than true as his legacy at the club was promoting them up two leagues, to the Nationalliga B, which is now known as the Challenge League. FC Wil are still currently in this tier, one promotion away from the Swiss top flight , which was only possible through five years of the management skills of Christian Gross.
At Grasshopper-Club Zurich Gross met more success. From 1993 to 1997 he led the club to the Swiss Cup, and two Championships. He was beginning to make a name for himself, being touted as the best coach in Switzerland. However, he was widely unknown in the rest of Europe, but this was a situation that was soon to change. When Gross moved onto a better team in a bigger league, the outcome was not as he would have preferred.
Tottenham Hotspur were in dire straits during the 1997-1998 season. Losing top striker Teddy Sheringham to Manchester United hampered the team’s success and by November of 1997, they were struggling to get out of the relegation zone. Gerry Francis, the manager at the time was sacked following a string of failures, and thus a position was open for Christian Gross. He was appointed as manager and given the difficult task of guiding Tottenham out of relegation trouble.
From the beginning matters did not seem to work out for Gross. His long time friend and assistant Fritz Schmid had trouble obtaining a work permit in England leaving Gross on his own. His first game in the Premiership was against Chelsea, which ended in a 6-1 loss for Tottenham. Although this was an embarrassing defeat, Gross quickly moved on and put the team back on track. He re-signed German legend Jürgen Klinsmann and ended the season on a high, losing only one of the remaining nine games.
During his time at Spurs though Gross was not able to win the league nor was he able to secure qualification for the Champions League or UEFA Cup, however it should be noted that his expertise was sufficient to save Tottenham from the drop. Despite this semi-achievement at White Hart Lane, the Swiss manager was sacked three games into the next season and left the club facing much criticism from the media and fans. It should also be said that Gross was victim of a terrible campaign from sections of the British media that worked to undermine his management.
Returning to Switzerland and to better days Christian Gross was dealt a similar situation, but this time it faired much better for him. Soon after returning Gross was appointed as manager of FC Basel.
After nine different managers in nine years and no major trophy since 1980, it was obvious Basel were lacking leadership. After near relegation in 1998 and a lacklustre mid-table finish in 1999 it was time for a new leader at Basel, one that could establish himself and take the club to the glory it felt it deserved. That man was Christian Gross and looking at Basel now, it is clear Gross has been a miracle worker.
Gross’s arrival at Basel in 1999 was a combination of good timing and luck. The club had recently received financial backing, giving Gross more freedom in the transfer market. Just like at Tottenham, Gross was able to bring in talent and was able to utilize Basel’s youth system.
The players Gross has brought in have been the pillars of Basel ever since and testament to his shrewd transfer policy. Goalkeeper Franco Constanzo, brought in 2005, has helped Basel in both the domestic league of Switzerland and European competition. Another important member of the Swiss outfit is Scott Chipperfield, he plays an integral role in the midfield. Mladen Petric and Ivan Rakitic were also memorable players and fan favourites at St. Jakob Stadium. However, both transferred to, Borussia Dortmund and Schalke respectively, which in some respect could be said to be Gross’s fault. Keeping these players would have continued to make Basel a strong force and some fans argue they really should have not been given away.
Losing players to bigger leagues is something Gross has to deal with frequently as many Swiss teams are plagued by the so called ‘player drain’, where any serious talent is taken away by rich clubs from small ‘minnow’ clubs such as Basel, making it a tough situation for the manager.
With the talent at his disposal Gross has accomplished a lot for himself and especially for Basel. In his nine years as manager he has brought major eight titles to the team, split evenly between Swiss Cups and Championships at four apiece. He also earned three Uhrencups for Basel (a pre-season cup in Switzerland). Also in 2008, Gross earned the title of Swiss coach of the year, a major accomplishment for him personally considering his humble beginnings.
Through being champions in 2002/2003, Gross took Basel to the group stage of 2003/2004 Champions League. Here he faced tough opposition against teams like Liverpool and Valencia, not to mention the qualifying round he had to negotiate to reach the group stage against Scottish legends Celtic, which Basel won 3-3 on away goals.
Both matches against Liverpool resulted in a draw, including a 3-3 draw at St, Jakob Stadium. At Valencia they were humbled 6-2, but regained some pride with 2-2 draw at home. Basel advanced to the 2nd group stage to face an even more daunting task. They had to place at least 2nd in a group with Manchester United and Juventus. At first they did not do so well, however they drew with Manchester United 1-1 at the Old Trafford and defeated Juventus 2-1 in a memorable home game. This left Basel with the same amount of points as 2nd placed Juventus, however they did not progress due to goal difference. This run in the Champions League boosted Gross’s reputation even more and has certainly earned him a huge amount of respect in Switzerland.
Apart from this achievement, Gross has led Basel into the UEFA Cup on more than one occasion. Being champions in 2008, Basel are now in the qualifying process for the 2008-2009 Champions League group stage once again. Winning by an aggregate score of 5-3, Basel has now moved to the third qualifying round. Facing Portuguese opposition in Vitória Sport Clube will be tough, but with the skill of Gross, they should go further in the competition.
Christian Gross has certainly left a mark at Basel. Everything he has already achieved with the club means it is certain he will go down in history as one of the best Swiss managers ever. The future at Basel will always look good if it involves the sheer brilliance of Christian Jürgen Gross.