Storm-Halted Euro 2012 Match between Ukraine and France Restarted

Play got suspended for about 50 minutes between France and Ukraine due to a severe thunder storm in Donetsk. Photo by tsn.ca

The Euro 2012 Group D match which was terminated 5 minutes after its start Friday night because of a thunderstorm was restarted at 8 pm local time (EET).

An unprecedented event in major football competitions occurred Friday as a heavy downpour forced Bjorn Kuipers, Dutch referee, to pull the players from the pitch.

France and Ukraine had gotten off to some sloppy play in the storm, with a dark sky overhead (despite the fact that there should still have been some daylight left) that reduced visibility drastically.

Just moments before the match started, a slight rain began to fall and it had become a torrential downpour within moments.

Conditions on the pitch in Donetsk are terrible, with some areas already having been convered into swamps.

The storm is said to last for another five minutes, according to local meteorologists.

Match cancellations are very rare in football, as teams have been known to play on through rain or snow, or excessive heat, on multiple occassions.

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