No extra security around Swiss-Turkey match

9 June 2008

NYON – No additional security is planned for the upcoming Switzerland-Turkey Euro 2008 which comes in the wake of an ill-tempered affair between the two teams in 2005.

"We are not especially concerned about individual matches. We hope that the security system works at every match," said William Gaillard, the communications chief of Europe’s ruling body UEFA, on Monday.

Swiss organizing committee spokeswoman Pascale Voegeli said: "We hope for a good cooperation with the authorities of both countries."

Switzerland and Turkey meet on Wednesday in Zurich in a match which both sides need to win if they want to stay alive in the tournament.

The stakes were similar when both sides met in the return leg of a World Cup qualifying playoff in November 2005. Switzerland lost the game 4-2 but went through on away goals.

Players and officials from both teams engaged in a post-match punch-up. The world governing body FIFA imposed harsh sanctions on players from both camps and Turkey were also ordered to play the first three Euro qualifiers behind closed doors on neutral ground.

Both sides have promised to be on their best behaviour on Wednesday.

"Both countries have an interest to show that we are here to play football," said Swiss midfielder Ludovic Magnin.

[dpa / Expatica]