Stadium chaos at HSV: will the Gladbach match be called off too? | OneFootball

The last-minute cancellation of the match between HSV and Leverkusen has caused a nationwide stir. And with a view to the coming days, further questions remain unanswered.

About two and a half hours before kickoff, HSV pulled the emergency brake. Initially, it was said there were “structural safety concerns as a result of the extreme thaw.” It has since become clear that the problems at the Volksparkstadion were more serious than first assumed. The upcoming home game against Borussia Mönchengladbach on Saturday could also be at risk.

Stadium director Daniel Nolte, who unexpectedly became the man of the hour on Tuesday evening, explained that meltwater had collected under the remaining snow masses on the roof. This led to dangerous deformations. Bulges formed in the roof membrane, and the so-called catwalk, a metal walkway under the roof, was also affected. In the worst case, the membrane could have torn or the catwalk could have collapsed into the spectator area. An unacceptable risk, as Nolte emphasized.

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HSV Director: “Our focus is on Saturday”

Especially bitter for all fans: the development was apparently not fully foreseeable in the morning. Only the onset of thaw, blocked water drainage, and additional rain led to the critical situation over the course of the day. That’s why an earlier cancellation was not possible, HSV assures. To make a well-founded decision, an external structural engineer from Tübingen was even brought in via video, who also recommended canceling the match based on a 3-D model.

A short-term rescheduled date is therefore off the table. The full extent of possible damage to the stadium roof is still unclear. Another structural engineer is set to conduct a new assessment on Wednesday after the snow has melted.

This means the start of the second half of the season is also in jeopardy. “Our focus is now on making the game against Gladbach on Saturday happen. We will have to carry out an inspection and are hopefully confident that we can play here on Saturday under safe conditions,” the busy Nolte explained to the TV broadcasters present and the club’s own media channels.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.