It all started with innocent flattery. At the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, then FIFA-President João Havelange on Heinrich Röthlisberger, chairman of Swiss Football Association (SFV), and says how great it would be to host the World Cup in Switzerland, the home of the World Federation. With this he puts a flea in Röthlisberger’s ear, which should lead to Switzerland being ridiculed all over the world.
Röthlisberger is immediately on fire. After an initial clarification, he announces: “Havelange has assured me that if we want the 1998 World Cup, we will be awarded the contract.” And the view says: “Goodbye for Switzerland!” It is completely forgotten that football has grown enormously since the World Cup was last held in Germany in 1954. At that time, the 16 participants played 26 matches in 6 stadiums, which could be so busy that even in the cornaredo 36,000 people found a place in Lugano.
In 1998 there must be twice as many participants, ten large stadiums with only seats are needed. The aging infrastructure in this country is far from adequate in terms of capacity and safety.
SFV-President Röthlisberger is not deterred. He gets potential sponsors on board, whines about politics and announces in the newspaper Sport: “The more you interact with the project, the less utopian it becomes.” Plans for new stadiums are being worked on everywhere. Of the St. Jakob Park in Basel, for example, the Berner will be rebuilt for 200 million francs and will have 50,000 seats Wankdorf be extended to the second large stadium.
Because time is short, creative solutions are sought. This is possible in St. Gallen, for example aspen moss not grow due to lack of space, so you want to build a new building in the ground moss upright. And in Lucerne the projected one forest stadium (30,000 places) is combined with an underground shooting range, which will serve as a parking garage on match days – a kind of prehistoric use.
In June 1989, the initiative committee was led by Heinrich Röthlisberger – as SFVChairman he had meanwhile been replaced by Freddy Rumo – for the press. However, there is hardly anything positive to report: everywhere there is opposition to the planned stadiums, not a single city wants to cooperate financially and defeat after defeat stands in a row at the ballot box. As a result, all projects are significantly downsized and some locations, such as Aarau, are withdrawing completely. It expects at least 120 million francs FIFA from the sale of World Cup tickets; an amount that cannot be recouped without major arenas.
When the World Cup started in the summer of 1990 in large, modern stadiums in Italy, Röthlisberger also saw the futility of the undertaking. He explains that in a fax FIFA the withdrawal of the Swiss candidacy. Yet SFVPresident Rumo, who had always dismissed the World Cup dreams as castles in the air, confirmed that Switzerland was still very interested, that the cancellation was a solo effort by Röthlisberger and was therefore null and void.
He draws new hope from statements by FIFA-Secretary General Sepp Blatter. Because he said: “A candidacy should not fail because of the capacity of the stadiums.” Until «Italy 90» and the upcoming World Cup in the US wants the world federation away from gigantism, now ecological considerations must also play a role in the award.
Roger Hauser, the new chairman of the initiative committee, tries to solve the stadium problems in a hurry. And he thinks he found Columbus’s egg. In the file published in September 1991 in the Zürcher Grand Hotel Dolder solemnly the FIFArepresentatives, the large arenas have disappeared, instead preliminary solutions for the locations are presented. With steel tube stands, the much too small stadiums must temporarily grow into World Cup format.
In the absence of alternatives, even Baden and Thun have to serve as locations. Of the Sports field laughterwhere else 300 people to the 1st league games of the FC Thun follow, should grow to an incredible 46,000 places. Temporary wooden stations will be installed in various places. Even previously euphoric supporters are skeptical, only them finance and economics cheers: “The opportunities for our country to present itself globally have never been better – let’s seize them.”
The file contains numerous letters of recommendation and letters of intent, but few concrete ones. She does it several times FIFA drew the initiative committee’s attention to such shortcomings. At the beginning of May 1992 she sent a delegation to our country, Federal President Flavio Cotti was sent ahead to ensure political support.
The knockout blow follows a few days later: during a football match in Bastia, a steel tube stand collapses, killing 18 and injuring more than 2,000. Immediately bans the FIFA such provisional measures until further notice. Now even government officials are begging Freddy Rumo to withdraw his application. In vain.
In Zurich of all places FIFA-Executive Committee in July to host the 1998 World Cup. France wins the race by 12 votes to Morocco by 7. Switzerland? Their file is not even allowed to be voted on because of “technical defects”. the NZZ judges: “The defeat shows a misjudgment of one’s own chances with a tentative concept and an ill-trained sense of the mood on key official floors.” And the Tages-Anzeiger finds it simple “unique and very embarrassing”.
It is also a shame about this defeat SFV almost nobody. After all, he finds out that such a big event cannot be tackled alone – and joins forces with Austria for the 2008 European Championships. The announced move away from gigantism is expected at the FIFA however continue.
Source: Blick
I am Ross William, a passionate and experienced news writer with more than four years of experience in the writing industry. I have been working as an author for 24 Instant News Reporters covering the Trending section. With a keen eye for detail, I am able to find stories that capture people’s interest and help them stay informed.
