Gilbert Gress at Strasbourg, the turbulent 55-day twilight of an idol

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·13 August 2026

In the summer of 2009, Gilbert Gress made a fleeting return to Strasbourg, lasting only 55 days.

According to L'Équipe, the club icon, who had led Racing Club de Strasbourg to the French title 30 years earlier, was back on the bench in Ligue 2.

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His second spell brought two defeats and tensions that are still debated today.

The story forms part of a daily series on short-lived coaching tenures, running until 21 August ahead of the Ligue 1 restart.

Today’s instalment revisits 2009 in Ligue 2, a detour taken because the tale was too compelling.

Source: L'Équipe

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”