It’s safe to say the 2023-22 UEFA Nations League match of Austria against Denmark generated quite a few headlines, however many of them were negative.At the conclusion of Ralf Rangnick‘s first home game in command of the Austrian national team, which had been delayed for 90 minutes, a gigantic sinkhole opened up.
In addition, after a power outage forced fans to use their cellphones to try to illuminate the stadium for theUEFA Nations LeagueB Group 4 clash in Vienna, the kick-off was eventually postponed.
Just 30 minutes in,Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg put the visitors ahead, only for Xaver Schlager to capitalize on Kasper Schmeichel’s misplaced ball. After a scoreless first half, Denmark took the lead when Jens Stryger Larsen curled in a stunning free-kick from outside the area.
Watch: What happened inAustria vs Denmark in UEFA Nations League?
Denmark won the game 2-1, but after the final whistle, a big hole had developed in the playing field, leading to additional bad press for the hosts. During the players’ exit, a mystery hole formed, and Danish winger Andreas Skov Olsen proved how deep it was by sticking his leg through.
There was nothing good to say about the night’s events, which were summarized by the sinkhole. “Terrible, I think they are aware that they should have done better. The hole could have ruined someone’s career,” Olsensaid. “Fortunately, that didn’t happen. I have no idea what happened on this amateur level stage.”
After seeing images of the frightening circumstances his players were forced to face, Denmark coach Kasper Hjulmand exhibited his rage during the post-match news conference. “The players were in grave danger. The pitch was so bad, it was almost impossible to go around”, he noted.
One Reddit user, though, seemsto have a plausible explanation for the hole: “One of the main drainage lines would have been damaged. This means all of the water from the pitch would have been flowing into one area pooling and eroding the drainage gravel, or the pitch may be on a steel frame, the base might have given way and then it became a pit hole for all the moisture as well.”
