The women's team were asked to staff the event instead
FC Basel have come under fire after not inviting its women's team to a club gala to celebrate its 125th birthday. Instead, the club asked that the women's team staff the event instead.
The men's first team, board members and a select group of paying fans were invited to the do as guests, while the women were asked to work instead.
They were assigned with selling tombola tickets, an unnamed observer told
CNN, while the men were in a room next door being served a three-course meal. The women's team were then served sandwiches, according to Swiss publication
Prime News.
The club said in a statement that they made "as many anniversary party tickets as possible available for the public."
"No departments -- except for our first team, the board and the management of the club -- were invited for this night.
"Since it was our 125th anniversary it was clear, that our first team would take a part in it, for all the previous teams who wrote our history since the founding in 1893.
"There will be another big anniversary event exclusively for all our teams and employees next year."
Swiss politician Elisabeth Schneider-Schneiter, a lifelong supporter of the club, is among the many fans and neutrals criticising the club for the debacle.
"It's really astonishing," Schneider-Schneiter told
CNN. "I'm also astonished about the reaction of the young women that they didn't say anything about that."
The club admitted that the women's team were not invited to the event but had "agreed to help" with proceedings.
