hristostoichkov
Reserve Team
St Gallen put apology in newspaper
ZURICH, Nov 8 (Reuters) - Switzerland's St Gallen have apologised to fans for their 11-3 humiliation to local rivals FC Wil by publishing a full-page advert in a newspaper.
Relegation fears at St Gallen, second from bottom of the 12-team top division, deepened after Sunday's embarrassing defeat to FC Wil, who act as their feeder club.
Supporters plan to protest by standing during the entire first half of next weekend's home fixture with Neuchatel Xamax.
But players and coach Thomas Staub, who is to be replaced in the coming weeks, attempted to diffuse the situation with a full-page apology in Friday's St Galler TagBlatt newspaper, which sponsors the club.
'We, the players of FC St. Gallen, made fools of ourselves,' the team wrote in the newspaper, which was accompanied by a team photograph and signed by each member of the squad.
'We know you are the best fans in Switzerland, and we've let you down. We are sorry. Unfortunately we cannot turn back the clock.'
St Gallen were crowned Swiss champions in 2000 and took the prized scalp of Chelsea in the UEFA Cup the same season.
They are now in the relegation zone with just four games left before the mid-season cut off point which sees the top eight sides of the 12-team league continue in a reduced Nationalliga.
ZURICH, Nov 8 (Reuters) - Switzerland's St Gallen have apologised to fans for their 11-3 humiliation to local rivals FC Wil by publishing a full-page advert in a newspaper.
Relegation fears at St Gallen, second from bottom of the 12-team top division, deepened after Sunday's embarrassing defeat to FC Wil, who act as their feeder club.
Supporters plan to protest by standing during the entire first half of next weekend's home fixture with Neuchatel Xamax.
But players and coach Thomas Staub, who is to be replaced in the coming weeks, attempted to diffuse the situation with a full-page apology in Friday's St Galler TagBlatt newspaper, which sponsors the club.
'We, the players of FC St. Gallen, made fools of ourselves,' the team wrote in the newspaper, which was accompanied by a team photograph and signed by each member of the squad.
'We know you are the best fans in Switzerland, and we've let you down. We are sorry. Unfortunately we cannot turn back the clock.'
St Gallen were crowned Swiss champions in 2000 and took the prized scalp of Chelsea in the UEFA Cup the same season.
They are now in the relegation zone with just four games left before the mid-season cut off point which sees the top eight sides of the 12-team league continue in a reduced Nationalliga.