Porto, Estoril clash halted over stand safety fears

Lisbon (AFP) – A Portuguese league match between FC Porto and Estoril was halted at half-time and fans were evacuated onto the pitch after cracks appeared in a stand on Monday night.

Estoril was leading 1-0 at half-time when security officials ordered spectators off one of the stands at the Antonio Coimbra da Mota stadium.

According to pictures posted on FC Porto’s twitter account, deep cracks had appeared in the structure of the stand at Estoril’s stadium near Lisbon.  

“Game suspended after problems in the structure of a stand at the Antonio Coimbra da Mota stadium,” Porto tweeted.

According to Sport TV, which broadcast the match, one of the pillars of the stand had cracks of around two centimeters.

Porto fans were seen leaping from the stands onto the pitch at half-time, an AFP photographer said.

The stadium announcer later announced that the match would not resume Monday and the Estoril club said that the second period would be held “at a date to be fixed soon”.