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Around 1,000 football fans followed the victory of the Swiss team against Hungary on Saturday from the fan zone set up at the Grand-Places. The public says they are attracted by this new space open throughout Euro 2024.
A large audience gathered under the trees, at the back of the Grand-Places. © Thomas Delley
Published on 06/16/2024
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
Successful baptism of fire for the new Grand-Places fan zone, in downtown Fribourg. Around 1,000 football fans chose this new space set up next to the Jean Tinguely fountain to witness the victorious entry of the Swiss team into Euro 2024.
An audience mixing several generations celebrated the Nati’s 3-1 success against Hungary. The concept, called Chez Claudy, a seaside tavern, is attractive, notably with a giant screen set up under a shelter with wooden walls and a Plexiglas roof. Several people also gathered under the trees.
Enthusiastic octogenarian
This is particularly the case of Mado Haymoz, 82 years old, from Fribourg, who followed the entire match standing, with her niece Sarah Blanc, 55 years old, from Courtepin. “We hesitated with the Saint-Léonard fan zone. But, in the city center, there are fallback solutions in the surrounding bistros in case of rain. There is a Friborg resident on the team. We are happy,” assures the octogenarian with the red and white scarf, who particularly applauded the decisive pass and the goal of Michel Aebischer, the Heitenried midfielder.
With their large white cross flags, Luca De Paolis, 22, and Mathys Pilloud, 20, came from Lentigny. “For this type of match, we look for places where there are as many people as possible, for the atmosphere. It’s a nice place, well laid out. In the city, the disadvantage is that you have to find a parking space, but it also allows people to come by public transport,” says the duo before kick-off.
At halftime, Guillaume Barras, 25, Corentin Yerly, 24, and Olivier Zahno, 31, share a pizza. “Friends, football, having a drink: it’s better to experience these matches with others than to stay alone in front of your television. We don’t come to Friborg often, but this is a good opportunity. The place is friendly and that enlivens the city,” says the trio, members of the Youth of Rossens. The three friends arrived for the opening of the site at 2 p.m., just to secure one of the tables located in front of the giant screen.
“The place is friendly and that enlivens the city”
William Barras
The trio tried in vain to get tickets to support the Nati in Germany. “The cities where Switzerland plays are a bit far away to just follow the matches in the fan zone,” adds Guillaume Barras, wearing an SC Freiburg cap. “It’s not because Sallai (midfielder of the Black Forest club, editor’s note) plays with Hungary, but because it needed red to go with the Swiss team jersey,” smiles -he.
Cruel blackout
The only downside: due to a transmission problem, the public in the Grand-Places fan zone was not able to watch the third Swiss goal live in stoppage time. “We were very stressed during this interruption, because we didn’t know what was happening. We were relieved to see that it was 3-1 when the image came back,” breathes Mado Haymoz.
Organizers believe they have identified the problem, as well as the cause of the sound problems that arose on Friday during the first match between Germany and Scotland. “These ephemeral montages are always great moments of stress. We are very happy with this start, even if for the future we depend on the results of the teams and the weather,” says Gilles Ancion, director of the Café des Grand-Places, at the origin of this fan zone with Jean-Christophe and Stéphane Jaton, owners of Crapule Club. The 1200 m site2 is open every day from 2 p.m. to midnight.
