Schmid praises Euro “football festival”

Constructive cooperation between Switzerland and Austria made the Euro 2008 a great success, Swiss Sport Minister Samuel Schmid said on Sunday.

“Switzerland on its own could not have hosted an event of this magnitude,” he told a media conference in Vienna organised by Uefa.

The two countries had profited from each other’s experience and tackled any problems jointly, he said. The partnership paid off and everyone enjoyed an “thrilling football festival”.

In an interview with the Zurich-based NZZ am Sonntag newspaper Schmid said fans had appreciated Swiss hospitality, and that closer links had been forged with some of the participating countries.

In particular he praised the Dutch for helping to stoke Swiss enthusiasm for the event even after Switzerland had been knocked out.

Schmid mentioned in his interview that the security authorities received “certain indications” that an attack on the Euro 2008 was being planned from abroad.

However, border officials, police and intelligence services had taken the necessary measures and there had been no specific problem.

He gave no further details.