Gilbert Gress

Football manager infobox
playername= Gilbert Gress
nickname = "L'ange de la Meinau", Giless


dateofbirth = birth date and age|1941|12|14
cityofbirth = Strassburg
countryofbirth = Germany (now Strasbourg, France)
currentclub =
position = Manager (former Midfielder and Striker)
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years = 1960–1966
1966–1970
1970–1973
1973–1975
1975–1977
clubs = RC Strasbourg
VfB Stuttgart
Olympique de Marseille
RC Strasbourg
Neuchâtel Xamax
caps(goals) = 156 (20)
152 (24)
090 0(8)
069 0(6)
00? 0(?)
nationalyears = 1967–1971
nationalteam = France
nationalcaps(goals) = 003 0(0)
manageryears = 1977–1980
1980–1981
1981–1990
1990–1991
1991–1994
1994–1997
1998–1999
2000–2001
2002
2003
2004–2005
2007
managerclubs = RC Strasbourg
FC Brugge
Neuchâtel Xamax
Servette FC
RC Strasbourg
Neuchâtel Xamax
Switzerland
FC Zurich
FC Metz
SK Sturm Graz
FC Sion
FC Aarau
pcupdate =
ntupdate =

Gilbert Gress (born 14 December 1941 in Strasbourg) is a French football coach and a former football player.

Playing career

This striker began his professional football career in the city of his birth with RC Strasbourg, where the fans soon nicknamed him the “angel of la Meinau” ("Engel von der Meinau", "L'ange de la Meinau"; Meinau is the stadium of the club). Briefly after first playing for Strasbourg (May 1960) the team were relegated to the second division, but returned after one year to Division 1, where Gress played until 1966 and his departure to the VfB Stuttgart. Strasbourg were at the time only in mid-table of the division, but won the 1966 Coupe de France.

During his time in Germany, he was called-up for the first time to the France national football team. During the 1970/71 season Gilbert Gress returned to his homeland and became with Olympique Marseille twice French champion. From 1973 to 1975 he came back to RC Strasbourg, changed then for one year to Neuchâtel Xamax in Switzerland and ended his playing career in 1977.

Gress completed 290 matches (201 for Strasbourg, 89 for Marseille) in France and scored 28 goals; in the federal league he came on 149 times.

Titles as a player

* French championship: 1971, 1972
* Coupe de France: 1966

National player

In 1966, after having won the Coupe de France, Gilbert Gress was not called to the FIFA World Cup 1966 in England by national coach Henri Guérin because Gress refused to shorten his long hair. Under the new coach Louis Dugauguez, Gress was first called-up on 27 September 1967 (a 1-5 defeat against Germany in Berlin). Altogether Gress played only three times in the France national football team (1967, 1968 and 1971) and did not score any goals.

Gress as a coach

Since 1977 Gress has worked as a football manager, and it's hardly surprising that he received his first job in his home town at Racing Strasbourg, where he had won the 1979 French championship, and where he returned again in 1991 for three years. His popularity is expressed also in the establishment of a Gilbert Gress Fanclub. In addition, he worked in Belgium, Austria and in Switzerland, where in 16 years (including twelve with Neuchâtel Xamax) he won two national championships and the cup. In 1998 he was appointed Swiss national football coach. A debate preceded his resignation over his wages as a national coach. In the meantime Gress had also accepted Swiss nationality.

Titles as a coach

* French championship: 1979 (with Strasbourg)
* Swiss Super League: 1987, 1988 (with Neuchâtel)
* Schweizer Cup: 2000 (with Zurich)

References