It takes many coincidences that Kurt Grünig, who was born in the Bernese Oberland – 1964 in his first international double-goal scorer in a 3-2 draw against Norway – ended up in the second highest division of the National League B club St. Gallen in 1968. “I didn’t even know where St. Gallen was,” says Grünig this week, “there wasn’t a motorway back then either.”
Center forward Grünig plays for YB. During the contract negotiations, he sits across from six club representatives: “They said I could come back when I had 25 games. They made me a head smaller. “
Nati player Grünig is in great demand. He’s doing one test with Servette (against Chelsea) and one with Lugano (against Tottenham). Both NLA clubs want him. But YB demands 360,000 francs, an astronomical sum at the time.
Shortly before the end of the transfer, Grünig moved to NLB-Klub St. Gallen in 1967. The promotion followed in the first season with Grünig. And a year later, the cup final will take place. On Whit Monday in front of 24,000 fans in Wankdorf. Opponent: AC Bellinzona. Grünig: “On the way to the final, we threw YB, Lugano and Servette out. Nobody thought that we would ever get into a final. That was a huge thing for the region, the whole canton was on its feet. “
With the spirit of Spiez
St. Gallen’s trainer Albert Sing, assistant trainer of the German world championship troops at the Miracle of Bern in 1954, chooses the Hotel Belvédère in Spiez BE for the preparation like 15 years earlier with Germany. The people of St. Gallen drive to the final with the famous “Geist von Spiez”.
Grünig is ready to spin twice for Rudi Nafziger (two years earlier with Bayern European Cup winners). The FCSG gets its first cup trophy.
Grünig: “I barely brought the bucket up, it was so heavy.” He offers the first sip from the pot to Bellinzona’s Captain Renzo Bionda, and the second St. Gallen President Elio Cellere.
Extra bonus: drive a Maserati for a week
And how about the bonuses back then? Grünig: “I had one, but most of the other players didn’t. That’s why I went to the President. He said: If we win, I can pick up 20,000. So I distributed the 20,000 from a small envelope among the players. ” Grünig receives an extra bonus from a sponsor: He is allowed to drive a luxury Maserati car for a week.