Sports minister gets tough on Swiss football violence

Hooliganism has been a problem at Swiss football stadiums for some years, including the frequent use of flares at matches. Keystone / Jean-christophe Bott

Swiss sports minister Viola Amherd summoned top football officials to a meeting on Tuesday to insist that more hooligans be banned from stadia in the light of recent violence at matches. Amherd says she is determined to crack down on hooliganism, which blighted one in three matches last year.

Amherd told representatives from the Swiss Football Association and the Swiss Football League that stadium bans must be applied more consistently against unruly fans. She also mooted the idea of a German-style security licence that would be awarded for certified clubs.

In March, Amherd spoke out against unruly behaviour at a match between Sion and Zurich Grasshoppers. This was far from an isolated incident, as data compiled by the federal and cantonal authorities last year shows.

Amherd appears determined to get tough against hooligans and the clubs that fail to tackle the issue responsibly. While acknowledging the efforts made by the football authorities so far to crack down on hooliganism, she believes existing measures are not applied consistently enough.

A statement from the defence and sport minstryExternal link said clubs must be prepared to throw out hooligans without waiting for a court order. Clubs must also coordinate better with police and the authorities to stamp out the problem, the statement readExternal link. This could include improving stadium video surveillance.

Amherd also threw another idea into the mix – a security certification process that all clubs should pass before being issued with a licence. This system is already in place in the German Bundesliga, the statement says.

The Conference of Cantonal Directors of Justice and Police is currently investigating the hooligan problem, after which Amherd will again meet with the football authorities.