MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) -A fire that broke out in a merchandise stand outside the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday was extinguished before Manchester City hosted Club Brugge in their final Champions League group match, the English club said.
The fire broke out near the entrance to the Colin Bell West Stand when City were unveiling their new January signings nearby.
“Emergency services are present at the scene and the fire has now been extinguished,” City said in a statement.
“The safety of all attending the match tonight is our top priority, and as such all events planned for West Stand reception have been cancelled, including the welcome event for new players, and the first team arrival.”
The game kicked off at its scheduled time. City, who are 25th in the standings, must win the game to make the knockout playoffs.
A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) said firefighters wearing breathing apparatus used two hose reels to extinguish the fire.
“Firefighters were in attendance for around an hour and thirty minutes,” the statement said.
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru, Lori Ewing in Manchester. Editing by Toby Davis)
