Ubuesque.
And a sequence that made the rounds of social networks.
A deep hole in the lawn of the Ernst-Happel-Stadion in Vienna, spotted Monday during Austria-Denmark, led the Austrian authorities to examine the lawn meticulously and to call a meeting before receiving France on Friday, learned the AFP with the local federation.
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The TV images are impressive: after the final whistle of Austria-Denmark (1-2) on Monday evening, the Danish players railed with the organizers in the face of a huge hole observed in the central circle, sinking their legs at least 30 centimeters in the ground.
"
I don't know what's going on with this amateur stadium
," said Danish midfielder Pierre-Emile Höjbjerg after the match, in remarks reported by the press.
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Challenged by this situation, the Austrian federation has been active since Tuesday to repair the defects of its lawn, before Austria-France on Friday (8:45 p.m.).
“
The ground is being examined with X-rays with a special device to see if other cavities can appear
,” a spokeswoman for the Federation told AFP.
"
The analysis must be completed on Wednesday evening
", while a "
meeting between UEFA (organizer of the League of Nations), the federation and the stadium services
" is scheduled for Wednesday evening at 6.30 p.m., supposed to bring "
more details
” about the situation.
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Heavy rain in Vienna in recent days
The explanation of the formation of such a hole "
is currently the subject of expertise, but it is likely that there was a significant increase in the level of groundwater in the nearby Danube, caused by the strong rains observed in the night from Sunday to Monday
, “said the same source.
“
The waters pushed upwards on the lawn, which caused a cavity to form, resulting in a hole.
The federation also announced that 1,000 square meters of grass will be provided by stadium services, "
in the event that the top layer of grass must be changed quickly
" if new holes are detected.
“
The lower layer has for its part been densified
using a roller machine, she also adds.
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Tuesday, the president of the federation Bernhard Neuhold had affirmed in front of the local press that he could not, for the moment, “
affirm that there is no other danger
”.
"
There can always be scenarios that could lead to a cancellation of the match
," he added.
On Monday evening, Austria also faced a major power outage in its stadium, delaying kick-off by an hour and a half.
“
The outage affected neighboring districts of Vienna and was caused by faulty power lines.
The technicians assure that the heavy rains on Sunday caused this problem
, ”said the Austrian federation to AFP.
Rain is still forecast for Vienna for Thursday and Friday.
Stage of the Euro-2008 final, the Ernst-Happel-Stadion will be sold out for the reception of the French world champions, with up to 44,800 spectators expected during this meeting counting for the 3rd day of the League of nations.