Fan Zones a smash hit

The first day of public viewing at the UEFA EURO 2008™ Fan Zones in Austria and Switzerland was a huge success, with over 250,000 gathering to watch the games.

Swiss totals
Fans spilled out into the streets at the four Fan Zones in Switzerland, with huge numbers of local supporters gathering to watch the co-hosts\' opening game in Basel, and while the 1-0 defeat against the Czech Republic was a cruel blow, it did not dampen spirits. Organisers reported that 41,000 fans were in the Basel Fan Zone, with 25,000 more in Berne, 55,000 in Zurich and a further 50,000 in Geneva, where Portugal beat Turkey 2-0 in the day\'s late game.

Austrian contingent
Austria\'s UEFA EURO 2008™ campaign may not kick off until today, but a large contingent of foreign fans helped swell the ranks in Vienna, Salzburg, Klagenfurt and Innsbruck, swelling the attendance over the two host nations to over 280,000. Vienna alone had an estimated draw of 83,000 to Saturday night, and with no crowd disturbances reported in any of the eight Fan Zones, the project looks destined to be a resounding success.