logo
Germany vs Portugal Nations League clash DELAYED as players are forced to protect themselves from hailstones

Germany vs Portugal Nations League clash DELAYED as players are forced to protect themselves from hailstones

Scottish Sun3 days ago

Goalkeepers from both sides had to run for cover
RAIN ON PARADE Germany vs Portugal Nations League clash DELAYED as players are forced to protect themselves from hailstones
THE NATIONS LEAGUE semi-final clash between Germany and Portugal had to be delayed by 10 minutes due to "adverse weather conditions" in Munich.
The situation became so unbearable that players had to protect themselves from hailstones.
Advertisement
3
The Nations League semi-final clash between Germany and Portugal had to be delayed by 10 minutes
3
Players had to protect themselves from hailstones
3
Players were overwhelmed by the weather conditions
That match was initially expected to start at 9pm (7pm BST) local time in Germany.
Thus, the game kicked off at 9:10pm local time (7:10pm BST).
Earlier in the day, UEFA warned match goers of possible thunderstorms in the Bavarian capital forecast.
Around an hour before the originally scheduled kick-off time, a storm swept across northern Munich.
Advertisement
Read More on Football
Off the Brails Major Man Utd figure 'steps back from club' after disastrous season
And it lashed the stadium with rain, leaving the arena grass carpeted in hailstones.
Goalkeepers from both sides had begun their warm-up when the storm hit.
And the players ran for cover as the conditions got too much to handle.
Nevertheless, the weather eased up soon after and the two teams took to the field.
Advertisement
CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS
Germany and Portugal made it to the semi-finals after topping their League A groups.
The Germans bested the likes of the Netherlands, Hungary, and Bosnia & Herzegovina.
And the Portuguese overcame Croatia, Scotland and Poland.
Advertisement
THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY..
The Sun is your go to destination for the best football, boxing and MMA news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video.Like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TheSunFootball and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSunFootball.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

The tiny sport stirring up a big controversy in Spain
The tiny sport stirring up a big controversy in Spain

The Independent

time6 hours ago

  • The Independent

The tiny sport stirring up a big controversy in Spain

A niche sport with roots in Spain's Basque Country has become embroiled in political controversy, sparking court action and igniting nationalist sentiments in the region. The dispute arose after the Basque Country was granted the right to compete as a nation in international pelota vasca competitions, a sport with a fleeting Olympic appearance over a century ago. The decision led to disagreements between sports officials and politicians, escalating to the point where the Court of Arbitration for Sport was asked to intervene. The conflict reached a climax this weekend when the Basque Country and Spain faced each other in the pelota vasca Nations League, a scenario previously deemed improbable. The Basque Country, also known as Euskadi, maintains a strong cultural identity and traditions in a region once scarred by violence. The Basque separatist movement began in the late 1950s and was led by the now-defunct militant group ETA. In 2011, the group declared a 'definitive end' to an armed conflict that killed nearly 900 people, and it officially disbanded in 2018. What is pelota vasca and who won? Pelota vasca, also known as Basque pelota, is played on a court with players using their hands and different types of rackets to hit the ball against a high wall. Depending on which version of the sport is being played, there are different court measurements — all of them with a high front wall and most with another high side wall. The biggest court is 54 meters long (177 feet long). In the Basque Country region, it's considered by many as a national sport. There were jeers when the Spanish national anthem played at the awards ceremony in the Basque Country location of Gernika-Lumo. The Basque Country won the men's final on Friday night, while Spain took the victory in the women's decider. The sport's Spanish federation had strongly opposed the recognition of the Basque team, citing alleged illegalities in the recognition process by the international body. It denounced 'pressure, threats and coercion' against Basque players who had chosen to play for Spain. Spain eventually went to the Court of Arbitration for Sports and asked for a ruling on the legality of the changes made in the bylaws of the international federation to allow the Basque team to be recognized. The Spanish federation said it was not allowed to vote in the general assembly in late December. The CAS decision is still pending. 'It's essential to emphasize that this is not an issue against the Basque Country, but rather a matter of legality,' the Spanish federation said in one of its many statements. The Spanish federation at one point complained of a lack of government support and was especially upset when the nation's top sports official, José Manuel Rodríguez Uribes, said that pelota vasca shouldn't be considered a Spanish sport in the sense that it is not played throughout the nation. The Spanish federation said the sport has an 'unquestionable national presence' with more than 10,000 athletes in the country. Politicians in the Basque Country had deemed the recognition by the international federation as historic. They had been working on making that possible for several years but lacked legal backing within local laws and statutes. 'It was unimaginable not too long ago to see these athletes wearing the Basque Country jersey in an international competition,' said Aitor Esteban, president of the Basque Nationalist Party. 'I think it's an important and exciting step. It's another step toward national recognition as a country. This international presence gives us visibility.' The Spanish federation said the Nations League can't be considered an official competition because the international federation did not meet the requirements needed to be able to host the event on Spanish soil, which included proper approval by Spanish officials. The Spanish federation said it only participated in the event out of consideration for its athletes who wanted to play and were afraid that the competition could eventually serve as a qualifier for next year's world championships in Argentina, as indicated by the international body. The Spanish federation insisted it can't be considered an official competition. The Basque federation of pelota vasca praised the fact that its national team became a 'reality.' 'We were born to grow and promote pelota vasca. It is part of our culture, of our identity and of our people," it said. 'We look to the future with hope, the future is ours.' In addition to Spain and the Basque Country, the other participants in the Nations League were the United States, France, Mexico and the Philippines. Pelota vasca was an official Olympic sport at the 1900 Paris Games and has been a demonstration sport several times since then, most recently in Barcelona in 1992. Variations of pelota vasca include jai alai, which in the United States is mostly played in Florida. Other countries where the sport is seen include France, Argentina, Mexico and Cuba.

Stephen Bunting storms to Nordic Darts Masters to deny Rob Cross a £30,000 jackpot
Stephen Bunting storms to Nordic Darts Masters to deny Rob Cross a £30,000 jackpot

Scottish Sun

time6 hours ago

  • Scottish Sun

Stephen Bunting storms to Nordic Darts Masters to deny Rob Cross a £30,000 jackpot

Fans' favourite is on fire to deny English rival a much-needed boost Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) STEPHEN BUNTING stormed to the Nordic Masters Darts title - as he denied Rob Cross a particularly handy £30,000. Cross has been banned as a company director for five years after his firm failed to pay more than £450,000 in tax. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 The Bullet continued his impressive recent form Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 2 Bunting was overjoyed with his victory And Voltage looked on course to one better than his runners-up spot last year when he led the Bullet 3-2 in the final. But Bunting hit a purple patch before clinching an 8-4 triumph. Both finalists hailed the raucous Copenhagen crowd. But, fittingly, it was fans' favourite Bunting who came on stronger. The Bullet had beaten Jonny Clayton in the quarter-finals before overcoming Luke Littler's conqueror Nathan Aspinall in a thriller. Meanwhile, Cross whitewashed Chris Dobey 6-0 before sinking last year's champion Gerwyn Price in the semis. THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY.. The Sun is your go to destination for the best football, boxing and MMA news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see us on Facebook at and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSunFootball.

Michael O'Neill takes positives from Northern Ireland's narrow defeat to Denmark
Michael O'Neill takes positives from Northern Ireland's narrow defeat to Denmark

The Independent

time7 hours ago

  • The Independent

Michael O'Neill takes positives from Northern Ireland's narrow defeat to Denmark

Michael O'Neill saw plenty of positives to take from Northern Ireland's 2-1 friendly defeat to Denmark as he kept his sights firmly on the World Cup qualifying campaign that starts in September. Christian Eriksen's second-half strike completed a come-from-behind win for the Danes as Northern Ireland suffered a second straight defeat after March's 5-1 loss to Sweden. But Saturday's match was not about the result for O'Neill, who wanted to give his young squad another tough test away to top-level opposition with a trip to Germany looming after they open their qualifying campaign in Luxembourg. From that point of view there was plenty for Northern Ireland to be happy with. After taking the lead through Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg's early own goal, O'Neill's men did not allow Denmark a shot on target until Gustav Isaksen's fine strike in first-half stoppage time. However, Northern Ireland did not do enough going the other way, and ended the match not registering a shot on target themselves. 'I thought it was a game that wasn't really played like a friendly game,' O'Neill said. 'I thought it had a little bit of an edge to it, which was good. 'We couldn't have got off to a better start. I thought we started the game very well and obviously we get ahead. I thought we thought we defended really well in the first half, we knew we'd have to defend our box well. 'It was a bit of individual brilliance from Isaksen that gives them the equaliser before half-time so half-time has a little bit of a different feel… 'We lost the second goal but then I thought we really dug in.' Denmark, ranked 50 places above Northern Ireland, had a huge edge in quality and experience and that was what eventually told. But O'Neill recognises there is still more they can do to make themselves competitive. 'We were never going to be a dominant possession-based team against any of these teams,' O'Neill added. 'We're asking players who play their football at League One or Championship level to go out against players from the top five leagues in Europe. 'The way we have to try to close that gap is to be what we are, a team that's well-organised, well-structured, difficult to beat, that comes to frustrate the opposition, but obviously to carry a threat as well. 'There's no shame in coming here and losing the game 2-1, not at all. But in terms of where we need to get to as a team, we need to be able to retain the ball a little bit better, maybe find a little bit more in terms of level of possession and that will help us carry a bigger threat.' The scoreline would have finished more strongly in Denmark's favour were it not for a number of saves made by 19-year-old goalkeeper Pierce Charles, who came on at half-time in place of Conor Hazard who was hurt in a first-half collision with Rasmus Hojlund. 'It's not an easy situation for young Pierce coming in and playing but I thought he dealt with it well,' O'Neill said. 'He's a very good young goalkeeper. You're defending your box at that point in time but the game gets a bit stretched, we're physically tired in the game. But it's important you keep the game at 2-1 because that's how you may get an opportunity.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store