A World Cup qualifier was bizarrely delayed after a sinkhole opened up on the pitch.
Saturday’s fixture between Austria and Cyprus at the Raiffeisen Arena in Linz was brought to a halt in the 75th minute due to the safety hazard.
The hole, which was roughly the same size as a football, was spotted on the edge of Austria’s penalty area, leading referee Jakob Kehlet to intervene. The home side’s goalkeeper, Alexander Schlager, pulled large clumps of grass out of the divot.
Ground staff were quickly on hand with a bucket of sand taken from around the pitch to repair the hole, while Schlager lent a hand. The match then continued after a seven-minute stoppage, while 10 extra minutes were added on in stoppage time.
Schlager estimated the depth of the sinkhole to be 30 to 40 centimetres.
Bernard Neuhold, managing director of the Austrian Football Federation, described the strange incident as ‘unpleasant and curious’.
Austria’s World Cup qualifier against Cyprus was delayed after this sinkhole opened up
Ground staff packed the hole with sand and the game resumed after a lengthy delay
This sinkhole opened up in another Austria fixture in 2022. On that occasion, midfielder Skov Olsen even tried putting his foot into the crater to try and test its depth
He told APA: ‘But the circumstances are different from 2022, when there was obviously a real defect in the substructure of the turf that needed to be remedied.’
Indeed, another sinkhole had appeared on the pitch during a past Austria game.
Back in June 2022, a hole opened in the centre circle just after full-time of a Nations League fixture against Denmark at the Ernst Happel Stadium in Vienna.
‘The incident in Linz did result in a disruption, but it was quickly resolved,’ Neuhold added. ‘We will investigate and work with LASK to determine the cause.’
The official refused to be drawn into speculation over the playing surface at a ground that had only opened in 2023. ‘One thing is a new stadium, the other is the playing field. But I don’t want to make a hasty judgment or shoot from the hip,’ he said.
‘The most important thing is that no player was injured and the damage was repaired.’
Real Madrid defender David Alaba, Austria’s captain, was shocked, saying: ‘I’ve never experienced anything like today or against Denmark, not even in my youth.’
His team-mate Michael Gregoritsch said the hole was ‘bad luck’ but placed the blame on the field. ‘We have to make sure the entire pitch is in better condition,’ he added.
Austria won the game 1-0 after Marcel Sabitzer’s penalty in the 54th minute. They are second in Group H, three points behind leaders Bosnia and Herzegovina.
