Switzerland may stop playing home matches at St. Gallen after fans jeered captain and record scorer Alex Frei during Friday's friendly against Australia, according to coach Ottmar Hitzfeld.
Swiss fans in a 14,660 crowd at the AFG Arena turned on Frei after he missed a 60th-minute penalty in a 0-0 draw.
Minutes later, Hitzfeld took the 31-year Basel forward out of the line of fire and replaced Switzerland's all-time leading scorer who has 40 international goals.
''The public reaction after Frei's penalty miss saddened me. Alex doesn't deserve such treatment,'' Hitzfeld said after the game.
''Now we have to consider where we choose to play our next home games.''
Fans in the northern city of St. Gallen have previously jeered home players.
When the AFG Arena first staged an international in May 2008 - a 3-0 victory over Liechtenstein which was Switzerland's final warmup before co-hosting the last European Championship - fans targeted forward Marco Streller, another Basel player.
Streller also has been whistled by fans at matches played in Geneva because of his connections with Basel, Switzerland's wealthiest and most successful club in recent years - and which will play in the Champions League this season.
Frei and Streller can expect a warmer welcome next Tuesday, if fit and selected to face England at their home St. Jakob Park stadium when Switzerland begins its qualification program for Euro 2012.
