Germany’s last 16 clash with Denmark has been suspended due to extreme weather, with a lightning storm hitting the area around Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund.
Two huge claps of thunder rang out around the stadium, before referee Michael Oliver blew his whistle and directed the two sets of players to leave the pitch. Rain then started pouring down as well as hail stones as lightning could be seen striking the area around the ground.
The stadium’s roof also started leaking, with huge waterfalls soaking the supporters who attended the game. At first, the players stood around the dugouts, before Oliver instructed them to return to the dressing rooms after a few minutes of waiting.
According to ITV’s refereeing analyst Christina Unkel, there is nothing in the UEFA rule book that states how long the wait might be. But she did suggest that the lightning will have to be at least 10 miles away from the stadium before play can restart, with a usual wait time of 30 minutes when similar things happen in other leagues.
Oliver also took the delegates of both teams away from the cameras and microphones in the tunnel as he explained the situation. The rain did soon begin easing, with an abandonment seemingly an unrealistic outcome.
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