The mood of the more than 60,000 fans remained relaxed. They sang (“Oh, how beautiful it is”) or showered in the torrents of water pouring down from the stadium. At the edge, employees shoveled the water into a drain, Danish fans danced. And of course, numerous supporters tried to protect themselves from the rain with flags or banners they had brought with them.
“Due to bad weather conditions, the game was interrupted,” it said on the video wall from 9.30 p.m.: Germany’s European Championship round of 16 match in Dortmund against Denmark had to be interrupted for a good 25 minutes due to a heavy storm.
“It will be interrupted until the storm is over”
Referee Michael Oliver sent both teams off the pitch in the 35th minute as lightning, thunder and rain swept across the Dortmund stadium. The players went to the changing rooms.
Referee expert Patrick Ittrich told MagentaTV: “The first priority is to protect the players and spectators. There is no time limit for how long the break will last. We will wait until the storm is over.”
At 9:59 p.m. and after a short warm-up phase, the Englishman blew the whistle to restart the game. This was a “joint decision with the Danes and the referees,” the German Football Association announced.
Fan Zone in Gelsenkirchen closed
In neighboring Gelsenkirchen, the storm canceled the public viewing. Gusts of wind force 9 were measured. Fences were reportedly damaged and posters flew through the air. The spectators left the area calmly and, according to initial findings, no one was injured. The organizers are now checking whether the public viewing facilities have been damaged.
nik
