On Wednesday evening, Borussia Mönchengladbach faced a team that had a long winter break. TSG Hoffenheim’s game at Werder Bremen last Saturday fell victim to the snowy winter weather in the north. Now Borussia could face a similar constellation after the 1:5 defeat next Saturday.
Hamburger SV’s game against Bayer 04 Leverkusen was only canceled two and a half hours before the final whistle on Tuesday evening. The official reason: “Static safety concerns as a result of the extreme thaw,” as the HSV announced. So it wasn’t coach Merlin Polzin’s players who had the most work, but rather Daniel Nolte, Hamburg’s stadium director.
The decisive impetus for the cancellation came when dents in the roof membrane were noticed late in the afternoon – caused by condensation. As a result, even the so-called catwalk, the walkable walkway under the roof, became tilted. HSV posted a corresponding picture on Instagram.
Hamburger SV used high-altitude climbers
“Our focus now is on realizing the game on Saturday against Mönchengladbach,” said Nolte on Dazn. “The thaw should continue. We assume that the load will gradually reduce. Then we will see to what extent there was damage.”
The HSV had already called in a structural engineer before the Leverkusen game, who was on site again after the cancellation and, after examining the relevant areas of the roof, gave the okay to continue the work. According to Mopo, there was “no decisive insight yet” on Wednesday, but there was “cautious optimism”. As the HSV announced, a “final statement” will follow “promptly”.
The last-minute cancellation was particularly annoying for the Leverkusen fans who had already arrived. A catch-up date is currently being sought, which is proving to be challenging given Bayer’s games in the Champions League and DFB Cup. “The thaw only caused this roof situation in the late afternoon,” assured stadium manager Nolte. The cancellation was “unavoidable” for security reasons. In the previous days, HSV had even used high-altitude climbers to clear the roof of snow and ice. They are now back in action.
Weather in Hamburg: Plus degrees in the next few days
For Borussia’s guest game at the Volksparkstadion next Saturday (planned kick-off at 3:30 p.m.) the answer is: the event is still in the balance, but if the worst comes to the worst, a cancellation should be made with more advance notice. Plus temperatures are predicted for the next few days, and even eight degrees and sun for Friday, when the decision has to be made at the latest.
