Geneva- Parlez-vous le foot? With less than a year to go until Euro 2008,
women in French-speaking Geneva in Switzerland are being offered a chance
to shape up for the big event by learning the lingo. The leading Swiss
supermarket Migros, which also runs night schools across the country,
has begun lessons on essential footballing jargon and the rules of the
sacred game that are designed to make any woman a match for their partner
come next year.
The course organizers boast any female undertaking their training will
be screaming "offside" with the best of them after three 50
minute sessions of coaching by a FIFA referee and maybe a few beers.
"You too will be able to spot bad decisions," states the course
literature.
"These lessons will allow women to participate in the debates during
and, more importantly, after the matches with the man in her life."
The courses, if a hit, could be extended nationwide in the coming months.
The Swiss are taking preparations for the biggest ever sporting event
staged in their country very seriously and understandably so.
The latest estimates claim it could be worth around 1.5 billion Swiss
francs (1.23 billion dollars). According to a study by the Federal Sports
office, actual profits could be 860 million Swiss francs or 0.18 per cent
of Swiss Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Public viewing areas with giant screen facilities, which proved a hit
during the World Cup in Germany, have raised the number of potential spectators.
They will allow 4.4 million people to see the games in towns across the
country in addition to the one million ticket holders who will be seated
in stadiums in Basel, Zurich, Geneva and Berne, the four host cities for
the matches.
"It shows there is real benefit for Switzerland," Swiss Sports
Minister Samuel Schmid told Swiss public television. "If 6,000 jobs
are created like the study says, there is real economic value."
Joerg Krebs, head of location marketing for Switzerland for Euro 2008,
has a budget of 12-13 million francs, paid for by the government, which
he plans to use to revitalize Switzerland's somewhat worthy but dull image
abroad.
"When we have image studies abroad they are always a little bit demeaning.
Switzerland is seen as a boring country because they don't know a lot
of it so we will show a little bit of what is not boring in Switzerland,"
he told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.
A series of road shows are planned promoting Switzerland in seven European
cities early next year.
"Abroad we want to show Switzerland as a modern, dynamic, cosmopolitan
country and in Switzerland that we are the perfect host."
There is also an ambitious plan to coach thousands of hoteliers, bus and
taxi drivers, the vital first point of contact for the millions of visitors
expected.
"I think we are good hosts but you have to give them (hoteliers and
taxi drivers) information. If the English fans are coming or the Finnish
or Russian fans are coming everybody needs to know where the Russian team
is playing, what type of fans they are, just basic information."
The German experience at last year's World Cup showed predictions about
economic benefits are at best unreliable. For the Swiss it is not just
about next year, the goal is very much the longer term.
"It is very important that we are doing a good job because we could
possibly attract other big events in the future."
Krebs' own personal goal is for Switzerland to host the winter Olympics,
held for the last time in the country in St Moritz in 1948.
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08 Jun 2007
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