Gross warning for players
Published 10:21 07/12/09 By Pa Sports
Christian Gross has warned Stuttgart's players to expect him to "explode" if they lose any more games by playing badly this season.
Gross was appointed as the club's new coach after they parted company with Markus Babbel, and the Swiss has already made it clear to his squad that he will not tolerate anybody not giving 100%.
"I always demand total passion from my players and I have always done so for the 20 years I have been a coach," he said.
"I am a positively structured person who has few negative feelings.
"You can lose a game if the opponent is better, but if the opponent was worse, then I explode."
Gross received a call from Stuttgart on Saturday evening after they had been held 1-1 at home by Bochum.
After six months without a job having been relieved of his duties following 10 years at the helm of Basle, the 55-year-old did not need long to consider Stuttgart's offer of an 18-month contract.
"I am delighted to be here," he said. "This is an honourable yet very difficult challenge.
"We have got to rescue what there is to be rescued. I want to get everything out of the players so that the fans will be happy again."
