Germany vs Denmark match delayed for nearly half an hour due to hail

Ngay khi những giọt mưa cùng sấm sét xuất hiện, trọng tài Michael Oliver đã quyết định hoãn trận đấu và cho cầu thủ hai đội rời sân - Ảnh: REUTERS — As soon as the rain and thunder appeared, referee Michael Oliver decided to postpone the match and let the players of both teams leave the field - Photo: REUTERS

The match between Germany and Denmark in the round of 16 of Euro 2024 started at 2am on June 30 and could only last 34 minutes. After that, referee Michael Oliver blew the whistle and asked the players from both sides to leave the field.

Television footage showed heavy rain falling on the Signal Iduna Park stadium in Dortmund, accompanied by thunder and lightning. A few minutes later, hail began to fall.

The Euro 2024 Organizing Committee also issued a statement saying: "Due to adverse weather conditions (thunderstorms and heavy rain) in Dortmund, the match between Germany and Denmark in the round of 16 of Euro 2024 has been postponed. UEFA will make an announcement on the continuation of the match based on the actual situation."

Meanwhile, BBC journalist Gary Rose updated the situation: "The thunderclaps caused panic among many people in the stadium. Heavy rain also poured down."

Even though the players, coaches and referees had to leave the field, the atmosphere in the stands was still filled with a festive atmosphere. The cheers of the fans of both teams were heard despite the fact that they tried to find every way to shelter from the rain. Two Danish fans even joined in the fun by getting into a funny shower.

Before the first half was suspended, the home team Germany had an exciting start. They played aggressively, put constant pressure and soon scored against Denmark but the goal was disallowed.

After that, the opportunities came to Joshua Kimmich, Kai Havertz,... but goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel played excellently to keep a clean sheet.

At the time of the postponement, Denmark had just regained control of the game and were playing better. After about 25 minutes, the two teams returned to the field to warm up and the match resumed at minute 35.