Over the past few years the federal government has handed out around half a billion Swiss francs in support of sport. Some of that money has been misappropriated – and not all of it is coming back.
In the two pandemic years 2020 and 2021, the federal government supported popular sports and professional team sports with financial packages amounting to half a billion Swiss francs.
In the course of audits, however, it became apparent that payments to clubs of the Swiss Football League did not always comply with the intended purpose.
2020 is gone
For example, the stabilization package covered Covid 19-related damages that would have had to be borne by the clubs themselves with A-fund-perdu contributions, the Federal Office of Sport (FOSPO) announced on Thursday.
While for the stabilization package 2020, due to the extremely complex situation, a recovery is waived – the situation for the year 2021 presents itself differently, it was further said. The federal government is therefore generous.
For 2021, however, there was no room to maneuver, as the mechanisms from the previous year were then sufficiently known, FOSPO continued in its communiqué.
Joint solution necessary
Therefore, the federal government is demanding about four million Swiss francs back, according to our information. Swiss Olympic, the Swiss football association and the clubs concerned must now find a solution together.
29.09.2022/kut./ena.
