For Andreas Mösli, the storming of the Servette supporters was unexpected. The club is trying to identify the two flare throwers. Meanwhile, the Geneva fan sector will remain closed to the next home game.
After the final whistle, several dozen Servette supporters stormed the pitch on the Schützenwiese in Winterthur on Sunday. Among them are two chaotic people who throw torches into the audience.
Trend Steinsiek / Imago
There were wild scenes on Sunday, shortly after the end of the cup semi-final between FC Winterthur and Servette on the Schützenwiese (0-1). Dozens of fans of the victorious Geneva team climbed over the fence in front of the visitors’ block and stormed onto the pitch unhindered. Some of them were masked.
Two of these violent supporters had lit torches and tried to throw their glow sticks at the packed east stand. One of the two burners fell to the ground just in front of the front row, the other landed in the middle of the audience. According to research by “Blick”, a father and a child were hit. They were unhurt, but they were very lucky. The flames of these torches reach temperatures of up to 2,500 degrees, as a pyro expert told “Blick” on Monday.
Before the match, police officers from the cantonal police and the Winterthur city police were pelted with bottles by Servette fans as the visiting club’s supporters marched from the train station to the stadium. After the game, according to a statement from the cantonal police, Geneva supporters massively attacked the security forces with stones, fireworks, projectiles and batons. A police officer sustained minor injuries.
Andreas Mösli, spokesman and board member of FC Winterthur.
Simon Tanner / NZZ
The home team is responsible for security in the stadium. The security regulations of the Swiss Football League, which also apply to the cup, state: “The home club must employ a security service to prevent any form of violent acts or spectator riots and to ensure the safety of the audience within the stadium and in its immediate surroundings.” If there is a risk of unrest, the home club’s security forces would have to form a chain of people so that spectators could not get onto the pitch.
On Sunday at the Schützenwiese, both regulations turned out to be a dead letter. Despite the heated mood among the Geneva supporters, a chain of people was not formed in front of the visitors’ sector; the employees of the pitch team’s security service only took action when the masked people were already on the pitch and threatening the audience in the east stand.
Andreas Mösli, the communications manager and member of the management team at FC Winterthur, comments.
Mr. Mösli, let’s take a quick look back. The game on Sunday is over, Servette wins 1-0 on the Schützenwiese and is in the cup final. But then some Geneva supporters storm the square. Did the FC Winterthur security service underestimate the situation in the stadium?
No. But we may have misjudged the situation. We are now in the process of working through all of this. We view images, exchange information with the authorities, with the police, with our fans. Why did something happen? What can we do better next time?
What can you do better?
That’s the problem with security. There is no list on which you can simply check off items. We actually assumed that the Servette fans would be happy about their team’s victory. Our assessment was definitely not that some Geneva supporters would storm the square and throw flares into the audience – and not out of joy, but apparently with a lot of hatred. Nobody could have expected that.
The arrival of the Servette fans was already fraught with conflict. On the way to the stadium, some of them threw bottles at police officers. Did your security know about this?
Naturally. We also knew that some Servette fans are not the easiest. But nothing ever happened in the stadium itself until Sunday.
The regulations of the Swiss Football League stipulate that the security service must form a chain of people if there is a fear that fans might storm onto the pitch. . .
As I said: There has never been a problem on the pitch in recent years. I’ve never seen fans of a winning team behave like that.
Would your security service have been able to form a chain of people in front of the guest sector?
Yes, but that’s theory. Security cannot be assumed from paper. This is about people, on both sides. We could have used a human chain to signal that it was forbidden to enter the field. Only: everyone knows that. Many things are forbidden, and some people do them anyway.
With the help of the Servette players on the pitch, your people managed to get most of the fans to leave the pitch after a few minutes.
That worked well, yes. But of course it’s not ideal if players have to help de-escalate. On the other hand, it also shows how important the players are to the fans. What a positive influence they can have. That wasn’t planned, but it was of great use in the situation.
FC Winterthur has issued multi-year stadium bans against several people. Against who? Against the two torch throwers?
No, the torch throwers are not there. We are trying to identify them, as are the police. For data protection reasons, we cannot say anything further about the three people who were banned from the stadium.
Why do these flares keep getting into the stadium? Can’t they be discovered during identity checks at the entrance?
Some of them are quite small and can be easily hidden in a bag or backpack. We can’t search every viewer, it’s just not possible due to time constraints. That wouldn’t correspond to the football league’s good hosting concept either.
Speaking of atmosphere: FC Winterthur is considered Switzerland’s feel-good club. Is there a risk that your fans will be infected by such scenes on Sunday?
There was also a great atmosphere on both sides of this game. It was sabotaged at the very end by a few violent fans. I don’t think our followers want to emulate that. Not even if they say “Shitty GC!” in other games. or “Shit Schaffhausen!” call. You can’t ban that, it’s part of football for many people.
Is it still fun to work for FC Winterthur at the moment?
Yes definitely. You shouldn’t be discouraged. For most spectators it was a great football festival. 99 percent of both fan camps didn’t cause any problems on Sunday. A few can spoil this mood. You should remain steadfast – and not let the fun be taken away from you.
Firefighters on Sunday on the Winterthur Schützenwiese.
Trend Steinsiek / Imago
There are already the first consequences after the storm on the Schützenwiese. The licensing authorities working group announced on Tuesday that the sector of Servette fans would remain closed at Geneva’s next home game. This is because of the “serious” incidents inside and outside the stadium in Winterthur last Sunday.
The next game of the Swiss Super League in Geneva will take place next Saturday. Servette’s opponent is FC Winterthur, of all teams. It’s a match on probation. “In the event of further riots, new measures will be taken,” writes the working group, in which cantons, cities and the conference of cantonal justice and police directors are represented.
The Swiss Football Association (SFV) is currently continuing to evaluate the report from the security delegate for the game, the referee report and the videos from the stadium, as it announced on Tuesday upon request. As soon as this process is completed, information will be given about any disciplinary action. According to the SFV’s legal administration regulations, possible penalties include a fine, an annulment of the game result or a forfeit defeat.
The association could not say on Tuesday whether such a penalty would only be directed against Servette or also against FC Winterthur.
Masked Servette fans create a “mood” with pyroflares.
Grant Hubbs / Imago