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Euro 2020: What happened when Switzerland last made it so far – and why you should watch to the end

Around 250,000 people turned off the TV after France scored to make it 3-1, meaning they missed one of the best performances in Swiss football history.

Published: 2 July 2021 15:27 CEST
Euro 2020: What happened when Switzerland last made it so far - and why you should watch to the end
Two players clash at the 1954 World Cup in Switzerland. Photo: AFP

Switzerland might be a passionate football nation, but as a small country surrounded by footballing powerhouses like Germany, Italy and of course France, there’s a tendency to be a tad pessimistic. 

Official viewing figures showed that just over 250,000 people turned off their TV sets after France’s Paul Pogba scored to make it 3-1, seemingly giving the Swiss little hope of a comeback. 

According to Swiss media outlet 20 Minutes, only one third of those who switched off actually turned the TV back on to see the greatest comeback in Swiss footballing history. 

The emotional rollercoaster was symbolised by the contrasting images of this Swiss super fan, who has since come to worldwide fame after his reactions went viral. 

‘Overwhelmed’: Unaware Swiss super fan stunned about viral fame

What happened the last time Switzerland went far in an international tournament? 

It might not surprise you to learn that the last time the Swiss national side went far in a men’s tournament they were at home – although you may be surprised to learn that it was almost 70 years ago. 

It took place as Switzerland hosted the World Cup in 1954. The final saw West Germany surprisingly triumph over the heavily favoured Ferenc Puskas and the Hungarian national side 3-2 in what became known as the Miracle of Bern. 

The Swiss team managed to make it through to the quarter finals, but were bounced out 7-5 by Austria (no penalties) in a match with the most goals in world cup history. 

‘We don’t like France, Germany or Italy’: How linguistic diversity unites Swiss football fans

How will Switzerland go tonight? 

Switzerland are hoping to take another major scalp at Euro 2020 when they face Spain in the quarter-finals on Friday while Belgium sweat over the fitness of star duo Eden Hazard and Kevin De Bruyne for their heavyweight clash with Italy in Munich.

The Swiss qualified for their first major tournament quarter-final since 1954 with a stunning win on penalties over reigning world champions France in Bucharest on Monday, and Vladimir Petkovic’s side are now hoping to get the better of another European powerhouse in Spain.

“We need to be hungry to make it to the next round,” said Petkovic, who is without his captain Granit Xhaka, so impressive against France but suspended here.

Spain arrived in Saint Petersburg fresh from a remarkable 5-3 extra-time win over Croatia in the last 16, a result which followed a 5-0 thumping of Slovakia in their final group game.

The 2008 and 2012 European champions are building momentum as they look to claim a record fourth continental title altogether, but Spain coach Luis Enrique knows all about the threat posed by the Swiss.

The sides met twice in the UEFA Nations League late last year, including in a dramatic 1-1 draw in which goalkeeper Yann Sommer, Switzerland’s penalty shoot-out hero against France, saved two spot-kicks from Sergio Ramos.

“The luck that we have, or the misfortune, is that we know each other very well,” Luis Enrique said on Thursday. “They are one of the best collectives in the tournament.”

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SPORT

How can I watch the Cricket World Cup in Switzerland?

The Cricket World Cup is being hosted in India this year, lasting over a month from October 5th to November 19th. How can you follow the tournament if you live in Switzerland?

Published: 18 October 2023 16:48 CEST
How can I watch the Cricket World Cup in Switzerland?

When and where is the World Cup taking place?

India is 3 hours and 30 minutes ahead of Switzerland, meaning that matches start between 6am and 10.30am, Swiss time.

This is the world cup in One Day International (ODI) cricket, meaning that there will be only two innings, with each inning lasting a maximum of 50 overs.

With games lasting up to nine hours, however, you should still be able to catch some of the action even on work days.

There are 10 countries participating – India, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan, England, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the Netherlands and Australia – playing a total of 48 matches.

READ ALSO: Where can I watch the Rugby World Cup in Switzerland?

When do matches start?

One match will be played per day until November 12th (apart from November 4th and November 11th, where two matches will be played). The semi-finals will take place on November 15th and 16th, and the final will start at 9.30am on Sunday November 19th.

Until October 29th, almost all matches start at 10.30am Swiss time, apart from two matches starting at 7am on October 21st (Netherlands vs Sri Lanka) and October 27th (Australia vs New Zealand).

From October 30th until the final on November 19th, matches will instead start at 9.30am, with a couple of exceptions – New Zealand vs Pakistan on November 4th, and Australia vs Bangladesh on November 11th, which will both start at 6am Swiss time.

Can I watch it on Swiss TV?

Unfortunately not. Cricket is not a hugely popular sport in Switzerland, although there is a national cricket association, called Cricket Switzerland. It is associated with over 30 clubs and schools, and has more than 750 registered senior and 600 junior cricketers.

Swiss broadcasters like SRF will be summing up the action of the Cricket World Cup in their regular reports. But it doesn’t appear that Switzerland’s regular sport streaming services are broadcasting the matches. That means your best bet is to find somewhere you can stream them using a VPN.

With a VPN, you’re able to virtually change your location on your device, meaning you can access the matches on a foreign streaming service.

The bad news is you may need to shell out for a subscription to a foreign sports service on top of potentially paying for a VPN, and you should be aware that some of these services will actively try and block any VPN users, so it’s worth considering the risk that your stream of choice may not work before you hand over your credit card details.

Is it legal to use a VPN to stream sports broadcast abroad?

It is legal in Switzerland to use a VPN, as is the case in most European countries, but it depends on the intended use. Is isn’t legal if you’re using it for anything that wouldn’t be permitted if you weren’t using the VPN. As such, you should bear in mind that it might violate the terms of service of the streaming service you’re using.

Is there anywhere I can watch it without using a VPN?

Some of The Local’s readers have recommended Indian streaming site YuppTV, which offers a Cricket World Cup package for €24.99.

Posts from cricket fans on social media seem to suggest that YuppTV’s World Cup package offers video quality of around 720p and includes adverts.

We can’t verify whether this website will work in Switzerland or not, and there are some negative reviews for YuppTV on Trustpilot from people who have had login problems with the World Cup package specifically, so try it at your own risk.

What about pubs or restaurants?

The early starts for many games, as well as the fact cricket is not a big sport in Switzerland, mean that few pubs or restaurants will be showing them. But you could try contacting your local sports bar, English pub or Irish bar to ask if they’d be willing to show part of the matches taking place within standard opening hours.

We also found reviews for the Oliver Twist pub in Zurich, saying it shows cricket games.

Establishments are more likely to show a match if you have a group of friends who would be interested in watching a particular match and if there’s no other major sport fixture on that day, but it’s worth getting in touch and asking them. 

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