He was an incredibly commanding presence in a completely new back four. “Grosso was really solid on the ball, created a lot of options and was extremely bold in his build-up play. He is fast, tough and good in the air,” praised Kohfeldt, who described Groß’s debut performance as “outstanding.” His teammate Niclas Füllkrug was also full of compliments. “I am absolutely delighted for Grosso. It was awesome the way he kept dribbling forward,” said the striker, who scored the winner in the 2-1 victory against Union.
Groß played every match in pre-season, repeatedly filling any gaps left by injuries. He improved from friendly to friendly and was rewarded with a competitive appearance in the DFB-Pokal against Atlas Delmenhorst, which the experienced 3. Liga player believed would be “a fitting climax” towards the end of his career. But it was not the end of this unbelievable tale, perhaps the most extraordinary story of a SV Werder player in recent years.