Thunderstorm and hail disrupt Germany-Denmark game at Euro 2024
A thunderstorm and hail suspended the Germany-Denmark round-of-16 clash at the European Championship and forced the players back under cover on Saturday.
One person who knew just how important it was to keep the players safe was Denmark coach Kasper Hjulmand, who was assistant coach of the Nordsjaelland team when one of its players, Jonathan Richter, was struck by lightning during a game in 2009.
Richter spent 11 days in a coma and had to have the lower part of his left leg amputated.
“I was not afraid but I was looking after the security of the players. Yes, I was involved in a match at a stadium where the lightning hit one of our players,” Hjulmand said.
“This lightning was straight over Signal Iduna Park (the Dortmund stadium). I saw my players react very much and it was the right thing to do to call it off.”