GC fans talk about attack by FCZ fans in U17 derby ahead of double derby

Two derbies between FCZ and GC will take place in the Leitzgrund in Zurich in the coming days. First there will be a league showdown on Saturday night (8:30pm), before the two clubs from Switzerland's biggest cities face off again in the cup round of 16 on Tuesday night (8pm). There is an explosive atmosphere ahead of time.

The announcement that FCZ fans will gather at the Josefwiese Stadium on Saturday has caused concern among Zurich police. This is because GC fans want to meet at this time as usual. Police said they would not tolerate any rallies or fan demonstrations near Joseph Weiss in the 5th arrondissement. FC Zurich also called on fans not to gather there. Whether fans will adhere to these guidelines remains to be seen.

The feud between supporters of the two Zurich clubs has intensified in recent years, intensifying off the pitch, as evidenced by incidents at the Chilbi in Wiesendagen and the S-Bahn incident near Harderbrück train station A spot. and Züri Fäscht in 2023. GC fans, in particular, must fear violent attacks if they publicly identify themselves as supporters of record champions. This is also shown by podcaster and GC supporter Stephan Wernli in the latest episode of the GCZ podcast “Sächsfoif”.

He became the victim of an attack on Wednesday evening during a derby between two Zurich U17 teams at the FCZ Heerenschürli campus. As videos on social media showed, attendance for the youth game was very high. Supporters of the host country were particularly well represented. Waynley, on the other hand, was there to cheer on the Grasshoppers. “Then someone came up to me and without saying anything he slapped me hard in the face,” the podcaster continued, “and he told me to get lost.” Fans knew who he was and knew his name.

More FCZ supporters then arrived, surrounded Wernli and insulted him. Words like “son of a bitch,” “victim,” or “don’t do the podcast” were used. He estimated the opposing fans' ages to be between 22 and 40 years old. That's why he left the game just minutes into the game.

Still, he noted insults being made to some of the GC's teenagers and even death threats allegedly made against underage players. When CH Media contacted the Grasshoppers media office, they confirmed that the young players had been named and insulted as sons of bitches. “I found this to be more violent than what happened to me,” said Wenley, who was not injured. “I think it's a shame for players who come here to play and represent their color to hear something like this.” (NIH)

Two derbies between FCZ and GC will take place in the Leitzgrund in Zurich in the coming days. First there will be a league showdown on Saturday night (8:30pm), before the two clubs from Switzerland's biggest cities face off again in the cup round of 16 on Tuesday night (8pm). There is an explosive atmosphere ahead of time.