Soccer Football – World Cup – Round of 16 – Croatia vs Denmark – Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia – July 1, 2018 Denmark’s Mathias Jorgensen celebrates scoring their first goal REUTERS/Damir Sagolj
July 1, 2018
By Philip O’Connor
NIZHNY NOVGOROD, Russia (Reuters) – A Danish government minister was among 145 fans, family members, sponsors and officials left stranded in Copenhagen after a flight was canceled, forcing them to miss Sunday’s World Cup last 16 clash against Croatia.
Culture minister Mette Bock was one of the passengers due to take the flight, which was to go from Moscow to Copenhagen and then on to Nizhny Novgorod. However, the lack of the necessary landing permit for the airport in Copenhagen meant it could not leave Moscow, the Danish FA confirmed to broadcaster TV2.
“We were checked in, spirits were high and the red-and-white colors dominated. But just before we went out to the plane, we were told that we would not be leaving. There were some disappointed faces, I must say,” Bock told the Ritzau news agency.
The winners of the clash between Denmark and Croatia will meet hosts Russia in the quarter-finals on July 7.
(Reporting by Philip O’Connor in Sochi, additional reporting by Andy Cawthorne in Nizhny Novgorod; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
