SPORTS/OLYMPICS> Off the Field
Swiss go nuts for Euro 2008 sticker albums
(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-06-06 16:18

ZURICH - As their national team prepare to open Euro 2008 against Czech Republic on Saturday, thousands of Swiss collectors have been busy filling up their Panini sticker albums.

The Italian firm created a special album for the Swiss with 40 stickers to find, compared with only 20 for the other 15 countries taking part, including co-hosts Austria.

"We expect to sell around 60 million packs in Switzerland, the same as for the World Cup two years ago," a Panini spokeswoman said.

"Taking population into account, that's more than in any other country," she added, noting that Germany's population was 10 times bigger than Switzerland but only two-and-a-half times more stickers were sold there.

"It's just the tradition in Switzerland and we have always sold a lot. We have been doing business there for decades."

When the tickets went on sale in April, many fans queued in the middle of the night to get the first packs.

Fabian Huguenin swaps stickers with fellow collectors at the Besame Mucho bar in Zurich.

"Ordering the ones you are missing direct from Panini is sacrilege and we try to avoid it," said the 26-year-old, with his stickers laid out on the table next to a beer.

His neighbour Jan Grand, 23, has started collecting for his sister as his own album is already full. "But I only have 40 left to find," he said.