A Ukrainian Premier League match played for a record-breaking four hours and 36 minutes after kick-off following multiple disruptions from air-raid warnings.
Dnipro-1 secured a 1-0 win over FC Oleksandriya, with the match marked by a series of delays due to air-raid sirens, resulting in an extremely long match duration.
Players experienced an initial 15-minute delay at the Dnipro Arena because of an air-raid siren, followed by an hour-long delay early in the second half and a further hour and a half delay with only one minute remaining of normal time.
The match, initially scheduled to start at 5pm local time, eventually finished close to 10pm, setting a new competition record for its length. Dnipro-1 had only recently resumed playing at their home stadium after the country’s westward relocation following Russia’s invasion in February 2022.
Eduard Sarapiy, a defender for Dnipro-1, expressed the team’s determination to finish the match, stating, “This is the first such long game for us, and it could have ended badly for us. We wanted to play all of the game. We took to the pitch and tried to finish the game only by winning it.”
A spokesperson for the Ukrainian Premier League confirmed that the match was the longest in the competition’s history, adding, “The match lasted four hours 36 minutes, and this is a new record.”
Dnipro, located some distance from the front line, played the match amid tensions, with reports of an elderly man killed in a Russian airstrike in the region a day before the game.
Michael Johnson is your soccer guru, providing extensive coverage of soccer. With a global perspective, he delivers match reports, player interviews, and insights into the beautiful game, ensuring readers stay connected to the world of soccer.
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