On 2 October 2011, the Swiss Football League game between FC Zürich and Grasshopper Club Zürich (known as the Zürich derby) at Letzigrund Stadium saw an incident of football hooliganism. The game had to be abandoned with approximately 15 minutes of regular time to go. Also dubbed the "Disgrace of Zürich" (German: Skandal/Schande von Zürich) by Swiss media,[1] this incident represented a second major episode of hooligan violence in Switzerland within five years, after a hooligan incident of similar significance occurred in Basel in 2006.
Incident
editDuring the 74th minute of the match, with Grasshopper Club Zürich leading 2-1, a masked FC Zürich fan threw a lit flare into the Grasshopper Club Zürich fan sector. No one was seriously injured at this stage. However, the incident incited a violent reaction from the Grasshopper Club Zürich fans. Several dozen masked Grasshopper Club Zürich fans rushed towards the fence separating the two groups and attempted to fight back with flagpoles.[2] The referee was forced to abandon the match due to safety concerns. Six people were injured in the riot that ensued.[3]
FC Zürich was forced to forfeit the match with a 0-3 score and play their next derby match without any spectators. Both teams were also fined 50,000 Swiss Francs.[4]
Cause of the incident
The FC Zürich fan's actions were reportedly a retaliation for an earlier provocation by Grasshopper Club Zürich fans. Earlier in the day, Grasshopper Club Zürich fans stole FC Zürich fan banners and displayed them with a message mocking FC Zürich. This act is considered a serious offense in ultra fan culture.[5]
Aftermath
editThe incident raised questions about how Switzerland deals with hooligan violence at matches with calls for enhanced security at Letzigrund Stadium.[6] In its aftermath, several experts contrasted Switzerland's failure to deal with the problem, with England's ability to gain the upper hand in its struggle against hooliganism in the 1990s.[7] The incident also made the news in Germany, with football commentary portal kicker.de featuring a story headlined "The Disgrace of Zurich shocks Switzerland".[8] In 2014, Reuters called it Switzerland's "most serious incident".[9]
The FC Zürich fan who threw the flare was eventually identified and sentenced to a 13-month suspended prison sentence and a 500 Swiss Franc fine. His initial sentence was a two-year suspended prison term,[10] which he successfully appealed to the Swiss Supreme Court. Switzerland's highest court cancelled his two-year sentence and remanded the case back to the Zurich High Court which then gave him a lower sentence.[11]
External links
editReferences
edit- ^ Kern, Max; Wegmann, Michael (2 October 2011). "Die Schande von Zürich". Blick. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
- ^ "02.10.11: Schande von Zürich: FCZ-Fan wirft Fackel in GC-Sektor und erzwingt Spielabbruch". Watson (in German). Retrieved 2024-06-25.
- ^ "Hooligans - FCZ-Petardenwerfer bleibt weiter in Untersuchungshaft". Aargauer Zeitung (in German). 2011-10-17. Retrieved 2024-06-25.
- ^ ""Schande von Zürich"". Neue Zürcher Zeitung (in Swiss High German). 2011-10-03. ISSN 0376-6829. Retrieved 2024-06-25.
- ^ "Stealing Flags & Burning Scarves | A Fan Declaration of War". Through The Turnstiles. Retrieved 2024-06-25.
- ^ swissinfo.ch, S. W. I. (2011-10-06). "Security to be upped at violence-hit stadium". SWI swissinfo.ch. Retrieved 2024-06-25.
- ^ Allen, Matthew Allen, Matthew (2011-10-03). "Disjointed approach hampers hooligan crackdown". SWI swissinfo.ch. Retrieved 2024-06-25.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ ""Die Schande von Zürich" schockt die Schweiz". kicker (in German). Retrieved 2024-06-25.
- ^ Davis, Toby (April 2014). "Soccer-Hooliganism still haunts European game". Reuters. Retrieved 8 July 2024.
- ^ Hürlimann, Brigitte (2013-04-23). ""Schande von Zürich" in der Berufungsrunde". Neue Zürcher Zeitung (in Swiss High German). ISSN 0376-6829. Retrieved 2024-06-25.
- ^ "Zürich Schaffhausen - Der Fall des Zürcher Fackelwerfers kommt noch einmal vor Gericht". Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (SRF) (in German). 2014-07-30. Retrieved 2024-06-25.