Gottéron season-ticket holders reportedly face a new attendance requirement

If you have a seat at Gottéron, the club apparently expects you to use it. From the 2026-27 season, which begins on September 15, season-ticket holders who miss more than eight games without an excuse may risk losing the right to renew their subscriptions.

The club has 7,500 season-ticket holders, and demand remains strong after Gottéron won the first title in its history in the spring. Long waiting lists exist for fans and even sponsors, although the BCF Arena added some seats over the summer. From the club's perspective, it is understandable to object when supporters reserve seats but selectively stay home for games against Ajoie or Rapperswil.

Yet fairness is only part of the calculation. Clubs mainly want to avoid empty seats because they threaten revenue from food and drinks. A Gottéron seat subscription costs 1,050 Swiss francs, but fans are also expected to turn up and spend money at the arena. The article finds it unsettling that spectators are pressed for every franc while also being told how to use the tickets they have bought.

The debate is not limited to Fribourg. Supporters of popular clubs in Como and at Boca Juniors, where stadium capacity is limited, are already wondering what could come next: perhaps even compulsory singing and clapping. In the United States, the Los Angeles Clippers have gone further with The Wall, a fan section at their two-billion-dollar Intuit Dome. Those seats come with an entire rulebook, including a ban on cheering for the opposing team.