A fire broke out outside Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium on Wednesday evening, just hours before the club’s crucial UEFA Champions League match against Club Brugge.
The fire started shortly before 6:00 PM GMT at a merchandise stand near the area where Pep Guardiola’s team was expected to enter the stadium about 30 minutes later.
Hundreds of fans had already gathered outside the stadium for a pre-match entertainment show, which featured interviews with City’s new signings Omar Marmoush, Vitor Reis, and Abdukodir Khusanov. At the time of the fire, City’s female players Rebecca Knaak and Aemu Oyama were on stage.
The event was quickly suspended as flames spread through the merchandise stand. Security staff and stewards moved fans away from the area while fire services rushed to the scene. A fire engine arrived within minutes to control the situation.
Although three entrance gates near the fire remained closed, authorities confirmed that the stadium was open and fans could enter. However, the rest of the pre-match show was canceled for safety reasons.
Despite the incident, the match was set to proceed as scheduled at 8:00 PM GMT.
Manchester City needs a win against Brugge in their final group-stage match to advance to the Champions League play-off round.
