Three days after the game in Freiburg, Christian Groß looks somewhat differently at his achievement of 100 competitive games for Werder, which he reached with a place in the starting XI. “Since the game I’ve viewed it as a bit less relevant, as the poor result is at the forefront of my mind. Of course I’m also proud of it, when you look at how the story began as an amateur.”
In summer 2018, the Bremen-born player moved to the Weser from third-tier side VfL Osnabrück, albeit into SVW’s U23s. He spent a season there as captain and was promoted to the senior team in 2019. 65 games in the Bundesliga, 27 in the 2. Bundesliga, six in the Pokal and two relegation play offs have followed. “That’s already something special and I’m definitely really pleased about it,” says the 34-year-old. Back in the here and now, the defender won’t let the bad vibes take over after defeats to Bayern and Freiburg, and instead is concentrated on the preparation for Mainz. “By doing what we showed in long stretches in Freiburg, by implementing the game plan, working on the details and improving further.”
Just like in his first spell at Werder as an U23 player, Groß is needed as a leader to bring the team forward. At the same time, for him it’s not just about speaking up but also “rolling up the sleeves and being on top of every training session.” It’s also about giving the fans something in return: “The encouragement is unbelievable and important, as we saw with the 4,000 supporters in Freiburg. Now we’re responsible for the mood in their ranks, and for that we want to make sure of a good game against Mainz and to get a home win.”
In summer 2018, the Bremen-born player moved to the Weser from third-tier side VfL Osnabrück, albeit into SVW’s U23s. He spent a season there as captain and was promoted to the senior team in 2019. 65 games in the Bundesliga, 27 in the 2. Bundesliga, six in the Pokal and two relegation play offs have followed. “That’s already something special and I’m definitely really pleased about it,” says the 34-year-old. Back in the here and now, the defender won’t let the bad vibes take over after defeats to Bayern and Freiburg, and instead is concentrated on the preparation for Mainz. “By doing what we showed in long stretches in Freiburg, by implementing the game plan, working on the details and improving further.”
Just like in his first spell at Werder as an U23 player, Groß is needed as a leader to bring the team forward. At the same time, for him it’s not just about speaking up but also “rolling up the sleeves and being on top of every training session.” It’s also about giving the fans something in return: “The encouragement is unbelievable and important, as we saw with the 4,000 supporters in Freiburg. Now we’re responsible for the mood in their ranks, and for that we want to make sure of a good game against Mainz and to get a home win.”
