Huge Sinkhole Opens Up In Centre Of UEFA Nations League Pitch

Footballers were left shocked after the pitch caved in during the Austria and Denmark UEFA Nations League matchup. 

The matchup was marred with all sorts of issues outside of the player’s control, with the game initially delayed for 90 minutes because of a blackout.

Fans had already settled into their seats at the Ernst-Happel Stadion as kick-off approached before everyone was sent into a state of confusion as the stadium suddenly went black.

Fans used the lights on the phone to see through the darkness as the floodlights went out, however, the game didn’t kick off until 10:15 pm local time, finishing after midnight.

When the game finally got underway the action got off without a hitch as former Manchester United interim manager Ralf Agnick suffered his first defeat as Austria coach.

While the gameplay went smoothly, it wasn’t until the final whistle had blown that yet another issue showed itself. 

The pitch appeared to cave in on itself with a huge sinkhole developing right near the centre circle.

Players alerted officials, and luckily the game had already concluded as it could have caused serious injury if it had happened minutes earlier.

The hole was quite deep as well, with Denmark winger Andreas Skov Olsen jumping in and losing almost half his leg. Definitely need to patch that one up. 

Ragnick’s side went down 2-1 to Denmark following goals from Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Jens Stryger Larsen who cancelled out Xaver Schlager’s equaliser.

Denmark’s Christian Eriksen was also featured for his country, his third outing for the nation since he went into cardiac arrest during the Euro 2020 tournament.

He is currently without a club with his contract expiring with Brentford, however, is being looked at by the likes of Manchester United and former team Tottenham Hotspur. 

The result puts Denmark at the top of League A Group 1 with two wins from two games after they also overcame World Cup winners France.

The game, however, will be remembered for everything that happened off the pitch.

Featured Image Credit: Twitter/Optus Sport.

Topics: Football, UEFA, UEFA Nations League, Christian Eriksen, Ralf Rangnick

Jayden Collins

Jayden Collins is a Journalist at SPORTbible. He has worked across multiple media platforms in areas such as sport, music, pop culture, entertainment and politics. He is part of the editorial team for LADbible Australia.