Swiss host cities hail EURO as huge success

Positive final phase results for Euro host cities Keystone-SDA

The four host cities of the Women’s European Football Championship tournament are all smiling the day after the final. In Geneva, Basel, Bern and Zurich, no incidents of note were reported despite the large crowds of supporters.

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Geneva, the only city in French-speaking Switzerland to take part in the finals, hosted five matches out of the entire tournament, and considers the results to be “extremely positive”. Three of the five matches were sold out, including the semi-final between Italy and England, said Cindy Reymond, General Secretary of the WEURO Geneva 2025 Association, on Monday.

“With a total of 123,000 spectators, attendance exceeded estimates,” she added. There was a very even split between men and women.

The police presence was discreet, but necessary to ensure the safety of a diverse crowd made up of many women and children. In the end, no incidents were reported. “This is unprecedented for a demonstration of this kind,” according to Reymond. The same can be said for health: only a few minor injuries were treated.

Basel proves its worth

Some 170,000 people packed into the St. Jakob-Park to watch the five matches played in Basel, including Sunday’s final between England and Spain. Around 25,000 people took part in the fan marches, and 300,000 visited the fan zones, local politician Mustafa Atici told the press on Monday. In his view, the city on the Rhine has proved its worth as a host city.

On Monday, the Bern cantonal police gave a positive assessment of the security situation at the EURO. The matches played in Bern and Thun have generally gone off peacefully and without major incidents. However, the police announced that they had had to intervene following reports of pickpocketing and minor incidents involving people under the influence of alcohol. Some measures were also necessary to make traffic safer.

The EURO is considered a resounding success in Zurich, which hosted the semi-final between Spain and Germany. The police reported no incidents, with the exception of a catering truck that caught fire in the fan zone on July 11.

Finally, the Swiss Police Federation (FSFP) said on Monday that the football mass had been “a pleasant example from the point of view of security and that major sporting events can take place in a peaceful and respectful atmosphere”.

Popular success

A total of 31 matches were played in the eight host cities of the Women’s Euro, 29 of which were sold out. Some 650,000 spectators attended the matches in the stadiums, according to the organisers.

With a total worldwide audience of 500 million people, a new record was set for television broadcasts and streaming.

Translated from Italian by DeepL/jdp

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