The Etihad Stadium pitch was deemed unplayable due to heavy rain in Manchester
Manchester City’s Champions League game against Borussia Monchengladbach has been postponed because of torrential rain, following a pitch inspection.
UEFA officials were moved to check the state of the playing surface following a heavy downpour in Manchester in late afternoon that continued past 7 p.m. BST.
A statement from City suggested the game was called off more for concerns of the safety of fans in and around the stadium, rather than the pitch itself.
“Torrential rainfall across Manchester throughout the evening led to flooding in the areas around the ground, which forced the decision on safety and security grounds,” the statement said.
Elsewhere in Manchester there were reports of flash flooding and Metrolink tram services were suspended.
It was reported that City goalkeeper Claudio Bravo was advised not to warm up due to the adverse conditions, with pools of water in various spots across the Etihad Stadium pitch.
City’s official Twitter account also sent a playful message to Borussia Monchengladbach pre-kickoff, saying: “We love it, us Mancs.”
Shortly afterwards they followed up with a tweet announcing the match would not go ahead on Tuesday.
Club announcement: Tonight’s #UCL match between #mcfc and @borussia_en has been postponed due to adverse weather conditions. #cityvbmg
— Manchester City (@ManCity) September 13, 2016
The game is likely to be replayed 24 hours later on Wednesday, although an official announcement about rescheduling will be made shortly.
Gladbach would certainly prefer to avoid a return trip to England, but there could be issues concerning stewarding. If the game is played on Wednesday, Monchengladbach would prefer an afternoon kick-off.
Club spokesman Markus Aretz said: “The decision about the kick-off time [if] tomorrow will be given today but after 9 p.m. BST. We want afternoon — we want to go home tomorrow!”
It is the second time in recent months both clubs have had games called off following inclement weather. In July City’s pre-season derby against Manchester United in Beijing fell foul of heavy rain while Monchengladbach’s friendly against Inter Milan last month was also cancelled.
“We are disappointed for the fans because 90 percent of them will probably not be able to watch the rearranged game,” Monchengladbach midfielder Oscar Wendt said. “But if the decision had to be taken for safety reasons then we understand it and respect it.”
-espnfc