It is highly uncertain whether the World Cup qualifier between Andorra and England will take place on Saturday. On Friday afternoon, a fire broke out in Estasdi Nacional, the stadium that was supposed to serve as the backdrop for the international match. Emergency services were quickly on the spot and had the fire under control fairly quickly, but were unable to prevent part of the stadium and the synthetic turf pitch from being lost.
The fire is believed to have started when welders built a portal for TV reporters, after which the entire camera platform went up in flames. Images from Sky Sports, which previewed Saturday’s game at the time of the fire, show the flames beating from the catacombs. Dark clouds of smoke then rose to the sky as the fire spread to a dugout. A strip of artificial grass next to the field was also completely destroyed by the fire.
Here’s the moment a fire broke out at the Estadi Nacional during @RobDorsettSky‘s live report on Sky Sports News… pic.twitter.com/CH1KpC71XN
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) October 8, 2021
The Sun The fire was brought under control just after 4 a.m. Whether the game can continue on Saturday is still uncertain. For this, the officials will have to assess the damage and be able to guarantee the safety of the players and fans. The fire started a few hours after the England team had trained on the field. Gareth Southgate and Kieran Trippier then conducted a few interviews, but were unharmed. It is unknown if there were any further injuries.
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