The President says: The time is good to go

was selected As the Peter Gilliéron with 80:20 votes to the President of the Swiss football Association, wrote the "Sunday newspaper" of a "runaway victory". The "SonntagsBlick" mocked the former lawyers of the cheese Union: "Peter Gilliéron, what a cheese!" Ten years later, he's back. On Saturday, the delegate Assembly will elect his successor. And he says: "That was it. The time is good to go."

It is a day at the beginning of may, as he sits in his office in Muri bei Bern, it is an office, as it suits him. A standing Desk, because it gets his back for a disc surgery better, is not a small table for a conversation, more as. In the case of Sepp Blatter, the used to be different, there's a armchair in the Fifa already much more expensive than when Gilliéron the whole setup.

he is familiar with the Glamour in the football , the congresses of Fifa and Uefa, who travel to Champions League Finals and world Championships. He never made the impression that it would impress the or even change. He has always remained an unpretentious Bernese football functionary. Even if it doesn't like sounds in the first Moment, then: It's meant as a compliment.

Manager instead of maker

"Evolution, not Revolution" was Gilliérons Motto, when he was elected ten years ago, he always remained faithful. He was never what is referred to as the maker, he dictated never made headlines, because he wanted to. He was a Manager. And as a Manager, he was very good.

During the 15 years he had been at the Association as Secretary-General, before he sat in the presidential election against the former SBB CEO Benedikt Weibel by. In his time, the Association has grown, the sales have increased from just over 40 to over 70 million, the number of Licensed 250 000 to 284 000. Especially, there has been success. Switzerland missed since 2009, only one out of five finals, the European Championships of 2012. Three times they were last in the quarter-finals. The addition of the world title in the U-17 in his first year as President, as well as first-time world Cup and European championship were part of the women.

"It was a good, a good, a fruitful time," he says today. "It's been nice." Since two weeks ago, he is 66, he can put in a new Situation. A new stage of life comes. What was, he will not miss. So he says all of this, so rational he is. He has enjoyed what he made. But he was always aware that it is sometime at the end: "A "Törli" goes, and another goes on."

two years ago, he wanted to stop. He had still to persuade to make. Last August, he decided that he wants to run this may, for no other term more. He had previously wrestled with thoughts, immediately stop. "Why not?", he wondered to himself. But then he felt that he has internally still enough to hold on to, and remained.

it was during this time that the country has so many emotions have run high, and much went to crap, because half the Nation or more had a mind to football and to the behavior of a few young men. This was because Russia, the world Cup last summer.

Hardened against criticism

"What I regret," says Peter Gilliéron, "this is Russia. If it would have been a better conclusion ..."

Switzerland in the eighth-final against Sweden, the game is for Gilliéron, a "Sch...-reminder", sch as bad, because the team's performance was so dismal as the result. "With a win, this whole story would have been a pile of ash," he thinks.

This story: the double-headed eagle; and from the Interview due to dual citizens, the then General Secretary Alex Miescher gave; the resignation of Valon Behrami who responded to a overheated due to the realignment of Coach Vladimir Petkovic. "There is something always came," said Gilliéron. The "view" as the Central organ of the chef's folk soul, demanded: "are you, Mr. Petkovic!" And a day later, the direction of the President: "Mr. Heusler, over to you!"

Over the years he has learned how to deal with criticism. He's been hardened. Not that you would have accounted for nothing. For relaxed, the way he talks in his office, therefore, he has not taken you always. That's what he is. But when it comes to Petkovic: To him he had always been, despite the criticism of the Coach in connection with the world Cup violently swelled. From the first day he has estimated the social competence of Petkovic, until today, he is convinced, Petkovic yoke with his Background in perfectly with the mentality of these players. "I've never had the feeling that he was portable," says Gilliéron, even after the world Cup, despite all the allegations of the dubious communication.

he had his Beliefs. It took a lot to dissuade him. The had been by Ottmar Hitzfeld as he extended him in the middle of the Deep of the spring of 2011 the contract to two years. He resisted, not least of all the criticism from the Swiss Football League, because he's always been of the opinion that an Association is not a club that were after a couple of down the coach throws. Hitzfeld paid back the confidence by leading the team to the 2014 world Cup in the quarter-finals against Argentina – one of the emotional high points in Gilliérons career as a functionary.

The separation of Miescher

Russia is also one of the Decisions is connected, which fell very hard for him. This was the separation of Alex Miescher, General Secretary. With him he formed a Pair harmonised perfectly: here's the President, would not the pursuit of power by other presidents, the Secretary-General, the was more General than Secretary.

"for Me, it did hurt that he went," said Gilliéron today. The formulation fits to him: He does not want, that it means that his old companion had been forced because of the dispute on Interviews from last summer, good-bye. Maybe this is a Form of redress, because he missed the opportunity to stop the Interview. He, too, read it in advance on the flight back from the world Cup to Zurich. But he let it go through. In doing so, he had to recognize the explosive device that was hidden.

The worst time for him was not Russia, that was the case, Sion 2011. The Association found itself between two millstones: on The one hand, the Fifa, which forced him to was there, Sion, due to the transfer of offense 36 points deducted. And on the other, Christian Constantin, who raged against all the instances and in the end ran.

The final confirmation

As President, he has always had his principles. So he has kept the even in the search for the new Manager for the national team. The mission of the Basler consultant Bernhard Heusler, and Georg Heitz was: review the structures around the national team. As the Swiss Football League, the Department of professional football, an extension of the competences of the Manager at all metro Teams wanted to resist as he sat down. "If we give a study in order, we abide by their results," he explains. "Let us go forward step by step." True to its old Motto: Evolution instead of Revolution.

so, On Saturday, his successor shall be elected. Then he has one last highlight: this is The Final Four of the Nations Cup at the beginning of June in Portugal, with Switzerland. It is his recent confirmation as President, many things right. 21. June, he has his last day in office. "After that, my Plan to have no plans," he says.

(editing Tamedia)

Created: 17.05.2019, 20:00 Uhr