Stephan Schwarz has been sporting director of Grasshoppers since the end of March and has the difficult task of getting the faltering record champions back on track.
26.10.2024, 05:00
SDA
In an interview with the Keystone-SDA news agency, the 54-year-old German talks about the unsuccessful start to the season, what attracted him to the job, how GC should be perceived in the future and why Marco Schällibaum is still the right coach.
Stephan Schwarz, GC have just eight points after ten games and are in second-last place. How do you rate the start to the season?
"We played well at times, but at the end of the day it's the points haul that counts. It's not what we expected. That's why we're certainly not completely satisfied at the moment."
What do you think are the main reasons for the few points?
"We kept making mistakes or were careless in the decisive moments. Unfortunately, that was always punished miserably. We have to learn from these things in order to reward ourselves. We have to work even harder. I keep saying that there is no substitute for winning."
Many commitments were only made after the start of the season. What role does that play?
"That certainly plays a role. However, they integrated quickly and well. That's down to the players, because they are very good people and have a good character. They were also well received by the team. However, processes must and can be practiced better so that fewer mistakes are made. Football is a sport of mistakes, but it's important to prevent a chain of errors that leads to conceding a goal."
You have been in office since the end of March. What attracted you to the job, especially as it was not yet clear at the time whether GC would be playing in the Super League this season?
"The club, this constellation, being able to contribute my experience. I knew GC from its history, which plays a big role in the club, I experienced great emotions at the Hardturm and saw great players. At the same time, I found very good youth work, there was an abundance of talent here. That has certainly been lost somewhat in the last 10 or 15 years. I really want to steer the whole thing in this direction again together with the people here. We are working on this with training concepts and individual support. The aim must be to be able to integrate more of our own young players into the first team again. We need continuity and stability. That is our top priority."
What virtues do you want to achieve this with?
"Being hard-working and persistent is something I exemplify every day. We have a lot of conversations with each other, everyone should feel included. People should feel that we (the new management - ed.) are approachable and transparent, that we address things openly and honestly and don't sell dreams. Reality must return. If we have a sense of unity in the administration, in the office and with the players, then something can happen. Trust among each other is the basis for being able to grow and be successful together. There is a certain spirit of optimism and we now need to drive this forward."
How should GC be perceived in future?
"As a performance-oriented and approachable club that has the city of Zurich at its heart and wants to convey this to the outside world. We want to stand for honest football so that spectators can identify with the players on the pitch."
The stadium is also one of the problems. The long-planned new arena is still not being built and the whole thing could well drag on for a long time. This leads to a large structural deficit that needs to be covered. This money is then lacking for investments in the first team. So is it at all realistic for GC to be successful again in the medium term?
"We have to get through this now and make the best of it. However, we certainly have the opportunity to optimize the team bit by bit and use new levers to create a new structure that can generate more performance."
Does the turmoil of the past make it difficult to attract players to GC?
"Yes, you have to say that very clearly. There were several players this summer who said they would rather go to a stable club because of GC's past. That's why it's so important for us to win back people's lost trust and bring stability. If we can do that, then we will be perceived differently again as a club, as a team."
Your area of responsibility is very large, so the workload is correspondingly high. What's more, the results aren't good at the moment. Can you switch off easily?
"No, I find that difficult, I have to be honest. It's something I take home with me into the night. However, I do try to go jogging regularly to give myself some air and space to let my mind wander. That's my balance to the daily grind."
Why is Marco Schällibaum still the right coach despite the poor results?
"That's not an issue for us. We went through the barrage together and are now working on building something sustainable. Stability can't be created overnight, setbacks are normal. We deal with them, process them and draw our conclusions from them in order to achieve the results we want in the near future. There is only one direction for us, to look forward together."
What is it about Schällibaum that convinces you the most?
"The whole package, the way he is as a person, as a coach, as a leader, the way he trains, the way he deals with the team. He has all the facets that a coach needs in order to achieve the necessary success with a team at some point. The first necessary success was getting through the barrage. Before that, we were in a very, very difficult situation. Marco gave the team stability, hope and conviction. That hasn't changed."
Saturday's game at Lausanne, who are three points ahead of GC in 9th place. So a very important game.
"Absolutely. However, every game is very important. We want to win every game and that's how we perform. But we still don't manage to play a game at a good level. It's part of our development process to get through those phases in which an opponent presses more calmly and confidently so that we can then make our own mark again."
Finally, what makes you optimistic that GC will be a good address in Swiss football again in the medium term?
"All the people who work with us make me optimistic. I can sense from all the employees that they really want to help push the whole thing forward. That's the greatest hope. We also feel the support of the fans. This gives us the strength to believe in a more successful future. We are working towards this. I keep saying that it will take two to four transfer periods until we have a team that embodies what we want everyone to enjoy again."
