SWITZERLAND: The unprecedented invasion of Swiss cities by football fans attending the UEFA European Championship forced SBB into an unusual strategic re-think.
The effervescent performances of the Netherlands team in the group stage of the tournament offered an additional incentive for thousands of Dutch supporters to travel with their team. Dressing head-to-toe in orange is of course obligatory, but it seems this triggered an unexpected clash of colours.
An SBB spokesman told Reuters that the company had decided to hand out hundreds of bright yellow high-visibility vests to its staff to replace the standard orange issue. The decision followed an incident at Bern station on June 19 where a group of Dutch fans followed an SBB worker onto the tracks after mistaking him for a fellow supporter. 'We have now given out yellow vests to all our staff who have to work or cross the tracks in Basel,' the spokesman said ahead of the Netherlands' quarter final tie against Russia, which was staged in the city.
SBB may be relieved that its 'away kit' can now be handed back, as a pallid Netherlands XI proved no match for a youthful Russian side, which triumphed 3-1 after extra time.
