Germany’s game against Denmark at Euro 2024 was suspended due to ‘adverse weather conditions’ as torrential rain and lightning wreaked havoc in Dortmund. The match, which was still goalless, was halted just before half-time with referee Michael Oliver leading both sets of players off the pitch.
The game kicked off in dry conditions but the weather quickly took a turn, with a heavy spell of rain drenching players and fans. It quickly became apparent that a serious storm was passing overhead when a loud clap of thunder was accompanied by bright flashes of lightning.
Oliver decided that enough was enough in the 35th minute and called a halt to proceedings, with the players initially huddling around their respective dugouts. After a short while, they headed down the tunnel and back to their dressing rooms as the rain intensified.
The downpour soaked the pitch and drenched fans unlucky enough to be sat in the front rows, with many using the coloured cards they held up before kick-off as makeshift umbrellas. The rain quickly turned into hail as a message flashed up on the big screens explaining the match had been delayed due to ‘adverse weather conditions’.
ITV commentator Clive Tyldesley, who was covering his final game for the broadcaster, quipped: “In those 37 years I’ve been doing this, I can’t remember a game being stopped for thunder and lightning!”
Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou suggested that both sets of players would have been left frustrated by the pause in play, saying on ITV: “It’s a bit like half-time. It will be uncertainty now. You want the dressing room to be calm and to get the information relayed to everyone.”
The rain started to ease up after around 15 minutes, at which point Oliver called the two teams back onto the pitch to continue playing. Germany had an early goal ruled out before the stoppage, with Nico Schlotterbeck heading home before it was controversially disallowed for a foul in the build-up.
The hosts went on to win the match 2-0 thanks to a penalty from Kai Havertz and Jamal Musiala’s smart finish which sealed his third goal of the tournament.
It did not mark the first time that a Euros match had been suspended due to heavy rain, with a similar incident taking place in 2012. France’s group stage meeting with co-hosts Ukraine was halted for nearly an hour, with stormy conditions forcing the players off the pitch after just four minutes.