After the match, the clear up

As triumphant Russians and dejected Dutch go their own ways after Saturday's Euro2008 quarterfinal, Basel has been clearing up.

The estimated 180,000 football fans who descended on the city for the game drank about half a million litres of beer and 100,000 litres of mineral water – and left behind some 40 tonnes of rubbish.

The amount of rubbish was much less than that usually picked up after Basel’s famous carnival, and there was very little broken glass, in contrast to matches played by Basel’s own team, an official from the refuse department said.

Despite the general good mood, about 50 arrests were made after the match as small groups of fans clashed. But the police said there had been no serious injuries and that most of the supporters had been well behaved.

The first aid services were also called in: 842 people needed medical assistance, of whom 92 were taken to hospital. The commonest complaints were minor injuries, excess alcohol consumption or heat-related problems as the temperatures soared.

The Swiss government’s delegate for Euro2008, Benedikt Weibel, thanked the Dutch fans after the “fantastic” day in Basel.

“It was very lucky that the majority of the fans were Dutch,” he told a media conference on Sunday. “They are peaceful and absolutely marvellous.”

Only one more game is left for Basel to host: the semifinal on Wednesday, which pitches Germany against Turkey.