Mix-up after season finale
Zurich is Swiss champion? No way, Google
May 23, 2026 – 7:58 a.mReading time: 1 min.
The players and those responsible at Grasshoppers Zurich are cheering as if they had won the championship. The only problem is: they don’t have that. Apparently Google is falling for this.
The Grasshoppers Zurich secured relegation in the final spurt of the Swiss club football season in the so-called barrage, which is called relegation in Germany. In the first and second leg they won against FC Aarau 2-1. It was the third year in a row that GC had to go into this playoff and was successful.
After the second leg, which was only decided in extra time, the tension was relieved and the Zurich team celebrated wildly. The fans set off pyrotechnics in the stands. GC captain and ex-Bundesliga professional Amir Abrashi (formerly SC Freiburg) said afterwards: “We were almost down with one foot. But this team doesn’t give up, the mentality is incredible. I have no words. The burden of the last few weeks has been huge.”
Whether it was these emotions or the fans’ pyrotechnics that prompted Google to launch its own (digital) fireworks display is pure speculation. However, something must have happened at the big tech company. Because: If you entered terms like “Super League”, “Grasshoppers Zurich” or simply “GC” into the search engine on Friday evening, you would get the correct table, but also the wrong animation.
It consisted of fireworks rockets that went up and exploded. Last but not least, a lettering including the Grasshoppers emblem went up. It read: “Grasshoppers wins Swiss Super League!”. A complete hoax. In Switzerland, FC Thun was sensationally crowned champions as a newcomer at the beginning of May.