Arrest after the final whistle: Man climbs onto stadium roof during DFB match
Excitement in Dortmund: A previously unknown man climbed onto the roof of Westfalenstadion during the DFB's victory against Denmark and their entry into the EURO 2024 quarter-finals. The police shone the helicopter light on the roof, but were unable to apprehend the person until after the final whistle.
During the EURO 2024 round of 16 match between Germany and Denmark in Dortmund, an unidentified man had climbed onto the roof of the stadium and had to be retrieved by the police. The police reported that they had arrested him.
The police approached him and spoke to him, it was further reported. A helicopter also illuminated the stadium roof. Videos circulating on the internet showed the person being apprehended by the SEK on the stadium roof with a drawn weapon after the final whistle.
"No danger to other people"
According to police reports, he had already reached the roof of the stadium by 10:27 p.m. The police could not make any statements about his motive or identity at the time. It was also unclear how he had managed to get onto the roof. The police stated after the game: "The police have now arrested the man. At no point was there a danger to other people. We cannot yet provide information about the identity of the man or his motive."
The 2:0 (0:0) victory of the German team was already a special one: Due to heavy storm conditions, the game was interrupted for about 25 minutes. Referee Michael Oliver sent both teams off the pitch in the 35th minute due to lightning, thunder, and rain over Dortmund's stadium. At 9:59 p.m. and after a short warm-up, the English referee signaled the start of the game again. This was a "joint decision with the Danes and the referees," the German Football Association announced. The atmosphere of the over 60,000 fans in the largely covered stands remained calm during the break. "Due to poor weather conditions, the game was interrupted," was displayed on the video board. The players went to their cabins.
The intruding individual was a threat to disrupt the National soccer team's celebration during the European Football Championship 2024 quarter-finals, but the police assured that no harm came to other spectators.
Despite the disruption caused by the unauthorized access to the Westfalenstadion during the EURO 2024 match between Germany and Denmark, the team managed to secure a victorious spot in the tournament.
