CASE STUDY 010: The Zurich Derby - Our Correspondents’ Perspectives
Two Swiss transplants and a chronic traveler, we recently sat down to interview three friends of the studio about their recent experience taking in the Zurich Derby - FC Zurich vs Grasshoppers. Here is what they had to say about their Swiss dispatch.
PART 1:
Interviewee: Roger Neve
Question #1: You have seen over 100 professional matches in person across more than 15 countries. This was your first time watching a game in Switzerland - what made it unique?
Answer #1: “Two extremely local teams. Seeing two clubs that share a stadium confront each other on their own turf was fascinating. You know, you have that in Milan (AC Milan and Inter Milan share the San Siro), but you don’t really feel that on the local level like you do here. The funny thing is, you could clearly see who was more popular - FC Zurich (and they weren’t even the home team for the matchday).”
Question #2: Describe the fans you saw in the stadium in four words.
Answer #2: “Musical, Loud, Fiery, Friendly.”
Question #3: As a photographer, catching things with the eye is your specialty. You didn’t take photos at this game, but what caught your eye?
Answer #3: “The celebrations of the fans - the flags, the banners, the swiss writing. I didn’t understand a word on those flags but man were they powerful. The explosiveness of Mounir Chouiar and Samuel Ballet on FC Zurich was equally eye-catching - like wow! You know, what I would also say is, it was incredibly friendly. Between the fans, you felt they didn’t have that same level of vitriol you see in other European rivalries. Really cool experience.”
PART 2:
Interviewee: NOAH NEVE
Question #1: As someone who has lived in Zurich for nearly two years, what about this matchday experience was the most surprising?
Answer #1: The most surprising thing for me was how full the stadium was and how many FC Zurich fans there were even though it was technically hosted by Grasshoppers. The last FCZ game I went to, the stadium was pretty empty, despite the fact that the FCZ ultras section (the “Südkurve”) was full. This time, the derby naturally brought the most excitement out of both fan bases. When we were walking into the match, I told my wife not to wear her FCZ hat in the Grasshoppers section we were sitting in. In hindsight, she would have been completely fine! The other fans were very friendly, albeit they were FCZ fans as well. With that being said, it was a classic European match-day experience where the dads taking their kids to the game are also the ones singing, smoking, drinking beer, and yelling at the opposition.
Question #2: Describe the game you saw in four words.
Answer #2: Back-and-forth, flares, singing, support.
Question #3: As a Zurich local and amateur player, if you could bring anything from Zurich football culture to the US, what would it be?
Answer #3: Something that is unique about FC Zurich is their ultras, the hardcore fans. They can be incredibly intense. They have tagged the entire country with FCZ logos (sometimes for worse). I should acknowledge that these ultras are very controversial and do some pretty undesirable things. With that said, they make a half empty stadium come alive, rain or shine.
So while they are controversial, the US could benefit a lot from supporter groups with such passion for their team. Swiss sports culture has a lot of parallels with the US (with respect to diverse and competing sporting interests), but it is the ultras that differentiate them.
PART 3:
Interviewee: OLIVIA MILLION-NEVE
Question #1: As a transplant who has done a lot to immerse yourself in a new culture and city over the past few years - what is it about the Zurich Derby that just makes sense to you now?
Answer #1: A lot of my appreciation for FC Zurich comes from the stadium being in our neighborhood. You see the stickers, signs, graffiti, and logos everywhere. The presence of FCZ is a bit inescapable. That translates into the game day experience because the fan energy is palpable.
Question #2: Describe the matchday experience in four words.
Answer #2: Energetic, rebellious, spirited, lively.
Question #3: It’s my understanding that you have chosen sides when it comes to football clubs in the city. Which is your adopted club and why?
Answer #3: No doubt, FCZ. When we moved here we started spotting all the graffiti and stickers for FCZ and so naturally we started seeing when they were playing. Once we moved to the same neighborhood as their home stadium our loyalty was solidified. They have quite the ultra fans, who honestly make the home game experiences that much more memorable.
