The "Lisbon derby between Benfica and Sporting was postponed on Sunday, and the crowd evacuated, after high winds caused debris to fall from the roof" at the Stadium of Light -- the venue that will host the Champions League final in May, according to Brian Homewood of REUTERS. Portuguese Football League President Mario Figueiredo said that the decision "avoided a tragedy" after pieces of glass fell to the ground. The teams had "already been announced when the crowd was told the match would be delayed as wind blew debris and rubbish around the pitch. The game was then called off after the scheduled kickoff time." The match has been rescheduled for Tuesday. Figueiredo: "An emergency meeting was held around 15 minutes before the kickoff and we asked the civil defense if the game could go ahead. They said it couldn't and told us to evacuate the stadium as quickly as possible. Fortunately this measure was decided in good time because shortly afterwards the pieces (of the roof) started to fall. A tragedy was avoided" (REUTERS, 2/9).
