▁he ▁was ▁s ack ed ▁and ▁was ▁replaced ▁by ▁Salv atore ▁And rac chio ▁( ad ▁inter im ) ▁until ▁Guy ▁Mat hez ▁was ▁appointed ▁as ▁tra iner ▁from ▁ 1 ▁January ▁ 1 9 9 8 . ▁The ▁club ' s ▁priority ▁aim ▁was ▁to ▁remain ▁in ▁the ▁top ▁flight ▁of ▁Swiss ▁football . ▁ ▁The ▁club ▁made ▁many ▁new ▁sign ings ▁as ▁the ▁season ▁started . ▁Among st ▁these , ▁there ▁were ▁many ▁experienced ▁players , ▁such ▁as ▁Oliver ▁Kre u zer ▁from ▁Bayern ▁Mun ich , ▁Marco ▁S as ▁from ▁Brad ford ▁City , ▁Maur izio ▁Ga ud ino ▁from ▁E int racht ▁Frankfurt , ▁J ürgen ▁Hart mann ▁from ▁Hamb urger ▁SV ▁and ▁N est or ▁Sub iat ▁from ▁Gr ass ho pper ▁Club . ▁There ▁were ▁also ▁young ▁players ▁such ▁as ▁Marco ▁Pérez ▁from ▁V ad uz , ▁Jan ▁Ber ger ▁from ▁Gr ass ho pper ▁Club ▁and ▁Fab inho ▁Santos ▁from ▁Jo in ville ▁( B raz il ) ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁Lu ís ▁Cal apes ▁and ▁Alexander ▁Frei ▁from ▁the ▁club ' s ▁own ▁youth ▁section . ▁Many ▁players ▁left ▁the ▁club , ▁under ▁them ▁last ▁season ' s ▁top ▁sc orer ▁Ga et ano ▁Gi all anza ▁who ▁transferred ▁to ▁N antes ▁and ▁Jean - Pierre ▁La ▁Pla ca ▁who ▁signed ▁for ▁Toul ouse ▁. ▁ ▁The ▁season ▁did ▁not ▁start ▁the ▁way ▁that ▁tra iner ▁Ber ger ▁had ▁hoped . ▁Four ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁six ▁games ▁ended ▁in ▁a ▁defeat , ▁the ▁team ▁conced