Violence still affects Swiss football and ice hockey games
Scene from a match between FC Basel and FC Aarau, May 2014.
Keystone / Patrick B. Kraemer
The level of hooligan violence at Swiss football and ice hockey games has remained stable over the past two years, according to an official police report.
This content was published on
1 minute
Though a direct comparison is difficult, since the sporting seasons were interrupted by Covid-19 back in March, the general picture remains stable, said the Federal Office of Police (Fedpol) on Thursday.
When it comes to the Super League and Challenge League – football’s top two tiers in Switzerland – 27 of 323 games in the 2019-2020 season were affected by “severe violent incidents”, compared to 48 of 457 games in the 2018-2019 season.
For ice-hockey, 21 of the 666 games played in the top two leagues last season were affected by violence, compared with 12 of the 708 the year before.
The most common offences last year were breaching the peace (387 cases), infringements of the explosives law (298), not adhering to the ban on face-coverings (251) and engaging in violence or intimidation towards authorities (168).
The ‘Hoogan’ database, a register of known hooligans, contained 1,525 names in June 2020, Fedpol said. The lion’s share (1,089) were linked to football, and just 23 of them were female.
Police have been trying to crack down on violence at football and hockey games in recent years; in 2016, a nationwide office was launched to coordinate efforts between cantons, football authorities, and ice hockey authorities.
Popular Stories
More
Climate solutions
Switzerland turns train tracks into solar power plants
In Switzerland more people are being referred to electrical therapies or psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. Are there similar approaches where you live?
Swiss parliament rejects national microchipping scheme for cats
This content was published on
Switzerland should not introduce a nationwide mandatory microchip scheme for cats. On Tuesday, the House of Representatives rejected such an idea by 108 votes to 80.
Sharp rise in reported cyber incidents in Switzerland
This content was published on
The number of reported cyber incidents and online threats in Switzerland rose sharply last year, according to the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC).
Swiss National Bank ‘ready to consider’ negative interest rates
This content was published on
The Swiss National Bank (SNB) is prepared to lower its key interest rate even further in the face of economic uncertainty, Chair Martin Schlegel said on Tuesday.
Toxic chemicals from car tyres found in fruit and vegetables in Switzerland
This content was published on
Tyre additives are transferred into the food chain, according to a new study in Switzerland. Further research is needed to establish the dangers for human health.
Swiss pensioner in court for feeding neighbour’s cat
This content was published on
A 68-year-old Swiss woman is in court in Zurich on Tuesday, accused of systematically feeding her neighbour's cat "Leo" - a criminal offence in Switzerland - so that the cat no longer wanted to go home.
SWISS flights to Tel Aviv remain suspended until May 11
This content was published on
Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) has cancelled all flights to and from the Israeli city of Tel Aviv until May 11 after a missile fired by Yemen's Houthi rebels landed near the airport.
Ministers discuss Swiss-EU deal with Italy and Hungary
This content was published on
Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter and Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis held talks on Monday with their respective counterparts from Italy and Hungary.
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
Swiss football games marred by hooligans
This content was published on
Every third football game in Switzerland over the past six months has been marked by violent incidents according to a new database.
Cracking down on football and ice hockey hooligans
This content was published on
The recommendations by the justice and police directors of the 26 cantons, published on Wednesday, call for a joint implementation of procedures to help identify violent troublemakers in and around sports stadiums and impose sanctions. The announcement comes two weeks after the kick-off of the Swiss football championship. The ice hockey season is due to…
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.