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Bruno Berner (45) has good manners. Before the press conference, the new GC head coach waits for his boss Bernt Haas to sit down before sitting down. For the Zurich resident who grew up in Glattbrugg, the start of the course on campus is a happy day that reminds him of his wedding day over 15 years ago. “Even then it poured like a train and I had tingling in my stomach.”
Berner does not believe his partnership as a coach with GC will last 15 years, “that would be very unusual in the world of football”. Nevertheless, the former defender has made his mark as a coach at the club he loves. His contract is currently limited to two years. With him on board are assistant Aurélien Mioch and athletics trainer Manuel Fässler, with whom he worked in Winterthur.
Good buddies
Berner and Haas still experienced the big ranking as players. Haas played in the Champions League in the mid-1990s, later Berner won two league titles with Zurich before continuing his career abroad. “Bruno knows the DNA of the club and what it means to wear the classification jersey,” says Haas. The new head coach speaks of a “blue and white heart”.
The two, who once shared a room in the national team, have not lost sight of each other in their private lives. However, Haas denies that the good private relationship led to Berner getting the contract. “Just because we’re good colleagues doesn’t mean we don’t hurt each other. We both have a big responsibility. But of course it’s easier when you know each other better.”
Both know that the golden days at GC are long gone. The past few months have been turbulent: a structural deficit in the double digits of millions, opaque plans and possible sales intentions from Chinese investors, top players such as goalkeeper André Moreira, Hayao Kawabe and Petar Pusic leaving the club. Much is uncertain at GC.
Coming and going on campus
All the question marks surrounding the record champions did not stop Berner from taking the risk. “I like to encourage and challenge, but I also like to be encouraged and challenged.” The former Bundesliga and England legionnaire makes no secret of the fact that Winterthur’s move into the standings is a giant leap forward for him. “If you can climb the ladder, do it.” The decision was a mixture of heart and mind.
Once again, there is a threat of unrest on campus. However, the different departures and the composition of the squad for the new season do not give sports director Haas “sleepless nights”, even if the Hoppers would have liked to keep Pusic as an identification figure (“we left the door wide open”) . In the end, however, the player decided not to stay, but reportedly not for financial reasons.
Due to the departures, Haas has now also become active itself. Within a few days, the Hoppers announced the commitments of defender Michael Kempter (28), offensive player Pascal Schürpf (33) and the two goalkeepers Manuel Kuttin (29) and Nicolas Glaus (21). The new number 1 will be the previous substitute Justin Hammel (22). “One or the other movement can still be expected in the coming weeks,” says Haas. After all, Berner still wants to feel the jitters at the start of the season in just over a month.
Source : Blick
I’m Emma Jack, a news website author at 24 News Reporters. I have been in the industry for over five years and it has been an incredible journey so far. I specialize in sports reporting and am highly knowledgeable about the latest trends and developments in this field.
