Chronicle Editor
Manchester City take on Club Brugge in their final Champions League group game on Wednesday night but the build up to the game has been blighted by a fire outside of the Etihad Stadium
A fire broke out at the Etihad Stadium just hours before ‘s crucial Champions League clash with a .
The blaze took place at a merchandise stall just yards from the Colin Bell Stand of the arena. A gas canister is understood to have caught fire, with the fire brigade called to douse the flames, while the Etihad itself was evacuated.
“The safety of all attending the match tonight is our top priority, and as such all events planned for West Stand reception have been cancelled, including the welcome event for new players, and the first team arrival.”
None of the trio were eligible to play against Club Brugge due to registration rules – a blow considering the importance of the game.
The pre-match event was suspended as flames took hold of the stand and stewards moved fans away before fire services arrived on the scene. At the time of writing, it is unknown at this stage whether the incident will affect the scheduled kick-off time of 8pm.
The area was quickly evacuated by stewards and security staff and a fire engine was on the scene within minutes. The fire soon appeared to be brought under control.
The fire brigade was called to deal with the fire (Image: PA)
It was announced at 6.22pm that the stadium was open and fans could enter but three entrance gates inside the cordoned-off area close to the scene of the fire were still closed. The remainder of the pre-match show was cancelled.
City face a pivotal evening on Wednesday as they come up against the Belgian side. They must win to guarantee themselves a playoff place, anything else would result in the 2023 champions being knocked out of the tournament.
Speaking ahead of the clash, City boss said: “The situation that we have is that we have to win the game and if not we will not continue in this competition.
“We want to have another chance to play another two games, to have the chance of the next stages. It’s not a problem, it’s an opportunity.”
Stewards were forced to move supporters away from the scene (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
He added: “These type of games I’ve played many times. Sooner or later you have to play them where if you win you go through and if you don’t you go out.
“We are here for the reasons we know, that we have not been good enough, and this is a situation we have lived many times.”
City have not failed to get out of a Champions League group since 2012, when the tournament was in its previous guise. Following their showdown with Brugge, City are back in action this weekend as they take on
- Mirror
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