Top flight match halted as fan fireworks go away participant unable to take penalty
A massive fireworks display from fans meant a top flight football match had to be suspended because the players couldn’t see and a penalty wasn’t able to be taken
The fireworks display meant the match had to be suspended(Image: Getty Images)
A top flight football clash was suspended because the players on the pitch couldn’t see as a result of fans letting off fireworks.
Union Berlin supporters were celebrating the German club’s 60th birthday and decided to mark the occasion with a massive fireworks display. But it backfired when their game was halted, sparking fears that it might even have had to be called off by the match officials before the home side could take a crucial penalty.
Union, now ninth in the Bundesliga, were hoping to beat now eighth-placed Eintracht Frankfurt on Friday night at the Stadion An der Alten Forsterei. It would have been their first win of the year, but the two sides ended up playing out a hard-fought draw before wild scenes in the closing stages.
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A goal in the 83rd minute from German left-back Nathaniel Brown for the visitors was the precursor to the chaos.
Frankfurt only held the lead for two minutes before they conceded a penalty and went down to 10 men thanks to midfielder Oscar Hojlund – the younger brother of Manchester United mega flop Rasmus – who brought down Union midfielder Rani Khedira in the penalty area.
He was shown a second yellow card but before the penalty could be taken, the referee had no choice but to halt the game as the pitch was enveloped in smoke caused by pyrotechnics set off in the stands and there was no way the spot kick could be taken in those circumstances.
Eventually the haze cleared and Union centre-back Leopold Querfeld dispatched the penalty to equalise for the home side, some two minutes after the sending off and the spot kick initially being awarded.
Last month another Bundesliga clash was affected by smoke from fan pyrotechnics. Bayern Munich’s encounter with Cologne was suspended after only four minutes because of smoke caused by flares before the game.
On that occasion, amid wintry conditions, the smoke took even longer to clear, meaning there was a nine-minute delay before England captain Harry Kane’s side were able to resume play.
The Bundesliga giants ultimately ran out 3-1 winners.
