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The Switzerland national football team are on high alert after receiving a formal warning about the presence of venomous snakes surrounding their training base in San Diego, California.
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A map of the various sections of the Swizerland national team's training center in San Diego, California, USA. Photo by Instagram/@swissnatimen |
The squad recently arrived in San Diego to prepare for their opening World Cup match against Qatar on June 14.
Apart from adapting to the hot and humid American summer weather, manager Murat Yakin and his players are facing another concern: a designated "snake zone" bordering their practice pitch.
The official Switzerland national team social media account posted a map of their training facility on June 6.
Alongside standard tactical spaces, such as the goalkeeper training area, gymnasiums and changing rooms, the map features a bold red area surrounding the pitch. The area is explicitly labeled: "Watch out for the snakes," The Sun reported.
According to the San Diego Museum of Natural History, the area is home to four species of highly venomous rattlesnakes. The most commonly encountered species within the city is the Southern Pacific rattlesnake.
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A snap of the Southern Pacific rattlesnake, commonly found in California. Photo by Instagram/@chinohillsstatepark |
Switzerland are not the only European team dealing with venomous snakes ahead of the tournament.
The Norway national team received a similar safety notice after setting up their base camp at the Grandover Resort & Spa in Greensboro, North Carolina.
Star striker Erling Haaland and his teammates were strictly advised against provoking any local reptiles, as the surrounding area is known for its dense snake population, The Indian Express reported.
An official advisory from the city of Greensboro highlighted the specific threat in the region.
"Copperhead snakes are found throughout the eastern and southeastern United States and are very common in Greensboro," wrote the warning. "Do not provoke it, try to pick it up or disturb it in any other way - it is extremely dangerous to do anything other than leave it alone."
Upon hearing the warning, Norway midfielder Kristian Thorstvedt admitted that he was "not happy to hear this."
Switzerland are in Group B of the World Cup, a bracket that many consider relatively comfortable. Following their opening fixture against Qatar, the team will face Bosnia & Herzegovina on June 19 before concluding the group stage against co-host Canada on June 25.
In their final preparation for the tournament, Switzerland played Australia in a friendly match that ended 1-1 at San Diego's Snapdragon Stadium on June 7. Australia are also preparing for their World Cup campaign in Group D.
