Etihad Stadium evacuated as FIRE breaks out just hours before Man City vs Club Brugge Champions League clash

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A fire erupted at the Etihad Stadium mere hours before Manchester City were due to face off against Club Brugge.

The incident occurred at a merchandise stall close to the Colin Bell Stand, where a gas canister ignited, prompting an evacuation of the stadium and the intervention of the fire brigade to extinguish the flames. Fans were ushered away from the area by stewards as the fire broke out while City's three January signings—Abdukodir Khusanov, Omar Marmoush, and Vitor Reis—were being presented to supporters outside the stadium.

Although the new players are not eligible for the Champions League match due to registration rules, their introduction was overshadowed by the emergency. The significance of Wednesday's game cannot be overstated for Manchester City, who need a victory to secure a playoff spot; anything less could see the 2023 champions ousted from the tournament. With kick-off set for 8pm, it remains uncertain if the fire will have any impact on the match reports the Mirror.

City manager Pep Guardiola, speaking before the game, emphasised the importance of the fixture: "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. 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 find themselves in 25th place and facing elimination ahead of Wednesday's match. Their performance has been underwhelming with only two victories out of seven games, a disappointing track record marked by defeats to Feyenoord and PSG.

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