Swiss officials demand ticket change to fight hooliganism
Zurich Grasshopper fans light fireworks at the Letzigrund stadium during the derby with FC Zurich on October 21, 2021.
Keystone / Ennio Leanza
Cantonal justice and police ministers want only named tickets to be issued for Super League football matches from next season in an effort to help fight hooliganism.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/SRF/sb
At a two-day meeting of the Conference of Cantonal Justice and Police Directors (CCJPD) in Mendrisio, canton Ticino, officials decided on Friday that only people who can be identified, for example via an ID card, should be allowed to enter football stadiums.
Talks will now continue with the respective city and cantonal authorities on December 10, Lucerne Justice and Security Director Paul Winiker told Swiss public radio SRF. They need to decide whether ID cards will be requested when purchasing a ticket or at the stadium.
Hooligan violence at Swiss football and ice hockey games remains a constant concern. After violence at matches in Zurich and Lucerne in mid-October, Sports Minister Viola Amherd called for the introduction of named tickets. The idea, which exists in Italy and England, has received little public support from Swiss football clubs and fan organisations.
At the Mendrisio meeting, officials also discussed extending named tickets to lower football divisions or to ice hockey matches, but decided against it for the time being.
This summer, FC Sion became the first Swiss club to introduce named tickets for matches. It also closed its visitors’ area. However, in October the club dropped the measure following sharp criticism by fans. The club regretted the fact that other teams had not introduced named tickets at the same time.
Popular Stories
More
Climate adaptation
Why Switzerland is among the ten fastest-warming countries in the world
Train vs plane: would you take a direct train between London and Geneva?
Eurostar is planning to run direct trains from Britain to Germany and Switzerland from the early 2030s. Would you favour the train over the plane? If not, why not?
Switzerland faces fresh AT1 bond case after Credit Suisse collapse
This content was published on
A British law firm has filed a case against Switzerland in connection with the write-down of AT1 bonds during UBS's 2023 takeover of Credit Suisse.
Switzerland is Europe’s most innovative country, EU study finds
This content was published on
In the European Commission's annual ranking, the Swiss score dropped slightly in 2025, but not enough to cost it top spot.
This content was published on
The harvest volume from Swiss forests again declined last year as the importance of wood chips for energy production has increased.
Women’s Euro 2025 has been largely peaceful so far
This content was published on
After two weeks of football fever in various Swiss host cities, no major incidents have been reported so far, police say.
Planned solar park at Bern airport scaled back after talks
This content was published on
The ground-mounted plant at Belpmoos Airport will be smaller than originally planned, the parties involved said on Tuesday.
Legal action filed against Swiss purchase of Israeli drones
This content was published on
Legal action aims to put an end to the delivery of the six Elbit reconnaissance drones already plagued by delays and setbacks.
Higher direct payments fail to curb scrub encroachment on alpine pastures
This content was published on
The scrub encroachment on Swiss alpine pastures leads to the loss of grassland and damages the typical landscape. It is also responsible for the decline in biodiversity. Despite higher direct payments, the bushes continue to spread.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Violence still affects Swiss football and ice hockey games
This content was published on
The level of hooligan violence at Swiss football and ice hockey games has remained stable over the past two years, according to the federal police.
Swiss justice minister urges zero-tolerance on hooligans
This content was published on
Justice Minister Karin Keller-Sutter has called for a crackdown against violence committed on the sidelines of football matches.
This content was published on
The Swiss authorities have pledged to apply measures against football hooligans more consistently and to speed up the implementation of stadium bans.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.