Swiss tractor ploughs through traffic to reach World Cup
Having navigated nearly 2,000km (1,250 miles) of motorways and through city traffic, Beat Studer and his trusty tractor rumbled into Kaliningrad on Thursday having completed an epic World Cup journey to watch the Swiss football team take on Serbia.
This content was published on
2 minutes
SDA-ATS/ts
Português
pt
Trator suíço encara a estrada para chegar à Copa do Mundo
Shining brightly under a midday sun, the 1964 vintage crimson tractor pulled into a Kaliningrad Stadium car park having reached the finish line of a 12-day odyssey that began just outside Lucerne and will culminate, Studer hopes, on Friday with a Swiss victory in the Group E showdown.
Studer, who owns a tractor museum, and two friends Werner Zimmermann and Josef Wyer came up with the idea after Switzerland qualified for Russia but decided they would only undertake the adventure if they could do something positive.
They decided they would do the trip for Swiss children’s charities and have so far raised close to CHF20,000 ($20,175).
“With the tractor we have no problems,” explained Wyer, who drove the support van and handled logistics while Studer and Zimmermann took turns at the wheel of the tractor for six hours each day.
“I had the problem with the two drivers, because … they are like children. A man can do something like this one time in his life, so we had really, really good time together,” he said.
“Stupid ideas come only when you are a little bit drunk,” Weir added.
Luckily for the Swiss trio they had abstained on Saturday when the tractor was pulled over by police in Poland just before entering the Russian enclave where Studer was breathalysed for suspected drunk driving.
Unconventional travel
Finding unconventional ways to travel to the World Cup are becoming as much a part of the event as penalty kicks.
Earlier, a Briton sailed from Bulgaria to Volgograd in a yacht to watch England’s opening Group G clash against Tunisia, while many have biked from near and far.
As strange as getting to the World Cup by tractor may seem, Studer and his friends are not the first – not even for the 2018 World Cup. German fan Hubert Wirth beat them, driving his tractor from Germany to Moscow to catch a glimpse of his national team.
Studer and his friends, however, were content to simply enjoy the ride. “We saw many different landscapes, different kinds of people,” Studer said. “Nobody booed us because we were travelling with the tractor. [The whole experience] was so nice.”
More
More
Will Switzerland win the football World Cup?
This content was published on
Highly unlikely, agree all analysts. swissinfo.ch assesses the probabilities provided by bookmakers, bankers and academics.
New gel developed in Zurich renders alcohol harmless
This content was published on
A newly developed gel composed of whey proteins breaks down alcohol in the body and could reduce its harmful and intoxicating effects in humans.
Pro-Palestine protests extend to Basel and Fribourg universities
This content was published on
Demonstrators called for an academic boycott of all Israeli institutions and disassociation with Chaim Weizmann, the first Israeli president.
This content was published on
In many cases, China's use of AI undermines the national security of the US and its allies, according to a US government representative.
Swiss Hells Angels trial alleges rape and money laundering
This content was published on
An allegedly high-ranking member of the Hells Angels is accused of money laundering totalling millions and rape, among other serious crimes.
SWISS is airline ‘group flagship’ says Lufthansa boss
This content was published on
Despite challenges, Lufthansa and its most important subsidiary, Swiss International Airlines, promise increased satisfaction and continued growth.
Swiss rediscover communist zeal after 84-year hiatus
This content was published on
Over 300 participants founded the Revolutionary Communist Party (RKP) at its congress in Burgdorf in canton Bern at the weekend.
This content was published on
Nemo brought the Eurovision Song Contest to Switzerland with a victory on Saturday evening in Malmö, Sweden. It is Switzerland's third victory in the history of the music contest.
The Swiss World Cup squad – everything you need to know
This content was published on
Swiss coach Vladimir Petkovic has opted for continuity in his 23-man squad for the 2018 World Cup. But who's the only one to play for a Swiss team?
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.