Credit from the Federal Council too low: no European Championship matches in Thun in 2025?

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Anticipation is high for the big event in the summer of 2025. Europe’s best football players will be guests in Switzerland from 2 to 27 July. The Federal Council also supports this project with four million francs. It is precisely this amount that irritates the organizers – especially in Thun, where it is questionable whether matches will actually take place in the Stockhorn Arena.

It was actually assumed that the federal government would contribute 15 million to the European Championship. Based on this assumption, the Thun City Parliament also provided a loan of 3.65 million for the organization of three matches. Condition: The federal government and the canton would have to bear two-thirds of the total costs. However, because the Federal Council will pay eleven million less than expected, it is unlikely that this condition will be met. “This is an insult,” said Thun councilor Katharina Ali-Oesch, who criticized the Federal Council in the “Berner Zeitung”. She explains: “Under these circumstances, we cannot continue the project in its intended form for the time being.”

How much money does the canton give?

The European Championship matches in Thun have not yet been written off. An exchange is currently taking place with the federal government, the canton and the football association. In Thun, all options are being explored to meet the wishes of the municipal council. Berne safety director Reto Nause speaks of a “scandal”. Women’s football is becoming increasingly popular and the Federal Council “does not even open a petty cash fund” for it.

By comparison, the 2008 Men’s European Championship was supported with a loan of 80 million francs. In Bern, the organization of individual games is not jeopardized by the Federal Council’s announcement, but the event should also take place there on a smaller scale as long as modest federal contributions remain, Nause explains.

It is unclear how much money the canton of Bern will support the European Championship matches in Thun and Bern. The money would be needed for a wide range of organizational costs. This includes covering the costs of project management, providing additional training fields, guest and fan support services, traffic measures or marketing and communication costs.

Source : Blick