UEFA Euro 2024: Bizarre scenes in Dortmund as lightning strikes interrupt Germany vs Denmark round of 16 | Football news

The round of 16 match of the 2024 European Championship between Germany and Denmark at the Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund was interrupted by the referee after thirty minutes on Saturday.

The UEFA EURO 2024 round of 16 match between Germany and Denmark was suspended due to rain on 29 June 2024 at the Dortmund football stadium. (Photo by Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

New Delhi: Germany and Denmark met in the round of 16 at the BVB Stadium in Dortmund. The hosts dominated the first twenty minutes, but the Danes were just getting into the game. However, a bizarre turn of events interrupted the game. Lightning and strong winds temporarily halted play.

Borussia Dortmund’s home stadium has no roof and the lightning struck too close to the pitch. The referee consulted with UEFA officials and therefore abandoned the match.

Play was stopped in the 36th minute when lightning struck near the stadium. Referee Anthony Taylor stopped play and the stadium later announced that play had been suspended.

On the pitch screen, BVB announced in the Dortmund stadium: “Due to adverse weather conditions the game has been cancelled. Further information will follow shortly.“.

Fans in the front rows of the famous South Stand sought shelter as fierce winds blew heavy rain onto their seats and caused water to spill over the edge of the roof. Some German fans chanted: “Oh, how beautiful it is.”

Fans may wonder what happens when a UEFA match is stopped by the referee due to unavoidable circumstances.

A match will be replayed if a UEFA match is interrupted.

If the referee decides to suspend a match in accordance with UEFA regulations and it is clear that the match will be completed on another day, the following conditions shall apply for the match to be restarted:

• If play resumes the next day, it will be restarted with the same players on the field and the same substitutes as at the time of suspension. If a player is unable to continue play, he may be replaced by one of the previously listed substitutes, which counts as a substitution. If the team has already used all of its substitutes, no change can be made. A substitute who is unable to take his place on the bench cannot be replaced.
• If play is restarted at a later time, the match sheet may include all eligible players who were on lists A or B at the time play was stopped, regardless of whether they were on the match sheet for the interrupted match, with the exception of players who were suspended, substituted or sent off during the interrupted match. Players who were on the field of play at the time play was stopped cannot be listed as substitutes when play is restarted.