Scheiblehner ahead of Winti duel: "A mixed start to the season"

Gerald Scheiblehner looks relaxed as he looks ahead to the upcoming key games against the two presumed relegation candidates Winterthur and Thun and his first two months as coach of the Grasshoppers on Friday afternoon at GC headquarters on Zurich's Schifflände. The club flag hangs on the balcony - well, but somewhat provisionally attached. The Grasshoppers have had to replace it ten times in recent months; some of the passers-by on the river promenade to Bellevue see it as a nice souvenir.

The brisk theft at least implies something good: the Grasshoppers are once again visible in the city, and they are not leaving many cold. But the road back to the faded glory of the past remains rocky, even a year and a half after the last change of ownership. Since an inaugural speech with anointed words and euphonious announcements by US President Stacy Johns, major investments have continued to fail to materialize - not least because the structural deficit is already large.

However, the recent turnaround after two seasons in danger of relegation gives hope. In particular, Alain Sutter, the new head of sport since May, has brought a new spirit to the club - "a positive climate that makes it easier for everyone and especially for me, who comes from abroad," says Gerald Scheiblehner, who took over as coach in May.

This environment makes the work more pleasant, says Scheiblehner, who was previously little known in this country. The new coach, who is taking on a coaching job abroad for the first time after four years at Blau-Weiss Linz in his home town, also contributes to this. Like Sutter, the 48-year-old Austrian has been well received so far with his flair for interpersonal relationships, affable manner and sense of humor.

The coach is also not lacking in understanding for certain constraints. "I think the last two years at GC were very, very difficult. The team played against relegation twice, and that gets on your nerves. It's right to shed this rucksack. Fresh blood is good in this situation."

"The cup match should be a pointer": Gerald Scheiblehner sees the young GC ensemble, which is eager to learn, on the right path

Keystone

Delicate undertaking

Despite the spirit of optimism, Scheiblehner's task remains a delicate one. It is he who is to lead the team, which Sutter has rebuilt and significantly rejuvenated with modest means, out of the relegation zone as a first step.

Impressions so far have been mixed. The team showed good signs, particularly in the 2:3 opening draw against Lucerne, but also in the 1:2 in Basel, the 1:1 at Servette and especially in the 1:2 in a test match against Bayern Munich, when captain Amir Abrashi, the great leader and identification figure, was absent due to injury.

"If you get one point from three games, it's certainly not a successful start to the season. It was a mixed start to the season. The performances were good at times, but not good enough over the entire duration of the game to win," Scheiblehner told blue Sport. "But you also have to think that we played against very strong opponents. Three teams that were in the top six last year."

Striker Luke Plange (22), for example, showed his quality on various occasions, central defender Saulo Decarli (33) provided stability, especially in Geneva, and some of the young Italians, above all Dorian Paloschi, hinted at their predisposition for a career at a higher level. "The players make a fresh impression and listen," says Scheiblehner happily.

However, their inexperience was also noticeable. Yannick Bettkober (20) made crucial mistakes in the opening defeat. There was a lack of ideas in the tense Cup performance against the deep-lying interregional second division team Lachen/Altendorf (2:0 thanks to two goals in the final phase). "We didn't know what to do with the ball possession. We took too long, we lacked ideas. Some of the youngsters didn't handle the situation well enough. It was a lucky win," admitted Scheiblehner in his direct manner.

Setbacks programmed

Setbacks like these are part and parcel of a young team, emphasizes Scheiblehner. "The cup match should be a pointer. It's important that the players grow from moments like these and quickly put such experiences behind them. Then it will be good." The coach draws his confidence from the positive development of the players and team since the first test match, a 1:1 draw against Vaduz.

Against Vaduz, he wondered whether the young team would be able to keep up in the Super League, says Scheiblehner. "Since then, the development has been good. I'm someone who supports the youngsters and I'm convinced by the players here. What's more, we don't just have youngsters and players like Lovro Zvonarek, who are mature despite their young age. We have a good mix."

One of the few experienced players in the team is Oscar Clemente (26) - "a very good player", as Scheiblehner says. The Spaniard, who trained at Atlético Madrid, is already eligible to play against Winterthur. However, he only trained with the team for the first time on Friday and may therefore not start on Sunday.

Whether the Grasshoppers' transfer activities are now complete remains to be seen just over two weeks before the window closes. "We've done most of the transfer business. If another one comes: fine. But that doesn't have to be the case. We'll make sure that the newcomers fit into the team in terms of character."

Regardless of the vacancies in the squad, Scheiblehner makes no secret of the importance of the upcoming game against Winterthur and the one against Thun in a week's time. There are "great expectations", says the coach. "When it comes to teams like Winterthur or Thun, you can't say that these are unimportant games. We want to show that we've arrived in the league. We have to win!"

The match between GC and Winterthur will be broadcast live on blue Sport at 2 p.m.

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