September 3 – Switzerland’s professional teams are to be allowed to have their stadiums back up to two thirds full from October, one of the first countries in Europe to do so in the wake of Covid-19.
The Swiss government said spectators would need to wear face masks and have allocated seats. No fans of away teams will be allowed and contact tracing plans must be in place.
Lawmakers announced details as part of the latest easing of limits on mass gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic which were imposed in February.
Until now there has been a 1,000-person limit for sports and other events, with some officials warning clubs face bankruptcy without being able to increase their match-day revenue.
But from October 1, for instance, FC Basel’s St-Jakob Park stadium, the biggest in country, could accommodate over 25,000 fans and Bern’s Stade de Suisse, the home of Young Boys, just over 20,000.
One of the first events to benefit should be Switzerland’s game against 2018 World Cup finalist Croatia on October 7. The 17,000-capacity stadium at St. Gallen could have more than 11,000 fans for the game.
The Swiss soccer league shut down in February, resumed in June and concluded last season in August. The new campaign starts later this month with two rounds scheduled before crowd limits can be eased.
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