No regrets for Gerets

By Svend Frandsen

With the end of the season looming, more than a few coaches have been left with the task of saving seemingly doomed sides from relegation. Any coach looking for an inspiring example of how to survive in style should look no further than 1. FC Kaiserslautern's Eric Gerets.

Miserable start
When the former Belgian international took over at the club in September 2002, Kaiserslautern were rooted to the foot of the Bundesliga table with just three points from their opening seven games. "When I came here and saw my new team in a friendly against RC Strasbourg after just one day, I knew I would be faced with a lot of work," said Gerets.

Major problems
The club's league position was only the tip of the iceberg. With mounting debts due to the loss of TV revenue and the cost of modernising their Fritz-Walter-Stadion, the club had a €15m debt which not even the sale of star striker Miroslav Klose's transfer rights to the regional lottery council for the Rheinland could cover.

Demoralised side
His side may have been demoralised but Gerets' instructions were clear. When Swiss clothing manufacturer René C. Jäggi took over as new president of Kaiserslautern at the beginning of the season, he stated that that the club had to remain in the top flight for no other reason than to get a good price for the sale of their stadium.

Gerets' challenge
Certainly, in September, the Fritz-Walter-Stadion was not a happy place to be. "It is true that when I arrived here, heads were hanging very low and people were very worried about the future," Gerets said. "Basically my responsibility was to restore the players' belief - then performances would gradually improve and everything else would follow. But of course it's not a job that is done overnight."

Ruthless tactics
However, there was more to Gerets's job than massaging bruised egos, and when it came down to it, the Belgian showed his ruthless side too. Established players Mario Basler and Swiss playmaker Ciriaco Sforza were both dropped to the bench while Markus Anfang and Portuguese winger José Dominguez were given their chance to help the club turn the corner.

Difficult task
"I can't have players step on to the pitch thinking they are world champions when we are at the bottom of the table," said Gerets. "When you are in that situation, you simply have to start from nothing and then keep patient - even though it can be difficult at times."

Resounding success
Difficult or otherwise, Gerets' methods have proved a resounding success, and since the end of the winter break, only the Bundesliga's runaway leaders FC Bayern München have outshone Kaiserslautern in the form table. Since 8 February, Kaiserslautern have taken 14 points from six matches and have hauled their way up to eleventh place in the table.

Upward momentum
Indeed, with the upward momentum with them, some have been talking in hushed tones about the club's European prospects for next season. At the moment, Kaiserslautern are nine points away from a UEFA Cup spot in the Bundesliga. However with a German Cup final against almost-certain champions Bayern approaching it looks like Gerets's side will be playing UEFA Cup football next season whether they win the cup or not.

'Let's not lose our heads'
Nevertheless, with the relegation places still just three points below them, Kaiserslautern are not getting too excited yet. "Let's not lose our heads," said Gerets. "That's what got us in trouble in the first place."