Gibraltar national team coach David Wilson can hardly believe that he will be sitting in the dugout against World Champions Germany today. Originally, the Scot had merely planned to work for the underdogs as a fitness advisor, but when Allen Bula was released of his duties head coach, Wilson was promoted and took over. "It's surreal, like a childhood dream," Wilson tried to explain his emotions ahead of the second encounter with Germany.
Wilson's incredible story exemplifies the rather adventurous direction that football is taking in the British enclave which is located at the southern tip of Spain. At the age of 22, Wilson decided against a professional football career at Kilmarnock, instead joining the Royal Navy, who then stationed him on the rocky peninsula on the Mediterranean coast in 2008. He offered his services as a fitness coach to a variety of clubs there and in 2013 he joined the newly formed national team. Two years later, Wilson took charge of his first game against none other than his home country Scotland in Glasgow's Hampden Park.
“Considering my background, it's really difficult to top the Scotland game," explained the 41-year-old. However, he is fully aware of the magnitude of the duel with his famous counterpart Joachim Löw. "Our team is made up of employees from the ministry of defence, policemen, a lawyer and a customs officer, but none of them accept that a defeat is predetermined by destiny. You have to be allowed to dream every once in a while," he said, even if the appearance fee for each Gibraltar player is just £50 (approximately €70).
His players have internalised Wilson's fighting spirit. They put in a decent performance in the 4-0 friendly defeat to Croatia last Sunday, despite Wilson resting his captain Roy Chipolina and several other regulars. Jamie Coombes, one of three debutants, took to Twitter after the game: "Bring on Germany!" Gibraltar already proved a tough nut to crack for the World Champions in their first encounter. "That was a great result for us," admitted Wilson after the underdogs were able to limit the damage in a 4-0 win for Germany last November. "Our strength is that our players show no fear."
Bravery alone does not win you football games, however, something Gibraltar's record shows with zero points after five qualifying games and a goal record of 1-27. That sole goal was scored in Wilson's debut as Gibraltar manager against Scotland (6-1 defeat). "We want to impress the nation. It's okay to defend for 90 minutes, but we also have to show that we can counterattack," Wilson said.
They can count on their home support despite the game taking place in Faro on Portugal's Algarve coast, a roughly four-hour drive from Gibraltar. It's a measure that has to be taken since Gibraltar don't have a UEFA sanctioned stadium of their own. Still, 3,000 fans are expected to make the trip, which is almost every tenth citizen of small British Overseas Territory. Most of them will take the same method of transport as the team, with a number of coaches set to make the journey.
