FIRE breaks out outside Man City's Etihad Stadium - just two hours before critical Champions League clash
FIRE breaks out outside Man City's Etihad Stadium - just two hours before critical Champions League clash
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Manchester City's critical Champions League night was thrown into turmoil after a merchandise store set on fire outside the Etihad Stadium. Hundreds of fans were gathered nearby as they waited to welcome Pep Guardiola's men outside the West Stand before their crunch clash with Club Bruges.
![[Fans were hastily evacuated from the scene as emergency services tackled the flames]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/29/18/94648943-14339179-image-a-36_1738175062028.jpg)
It is a must-win fixture for the Premier League champions, who will crash out of Europe's elite competition for the first time since 2012-13 without three points. The fire was contained after a quick response from emergency services and City confirmed within around 40 minutes that it had been extinguished. It is unclear how it began.
![[The fire was close to the statue of the sprinter outside the Etihad Stadium]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/29/18/94649141-14339179-image-a-37_1738175107166.jpg)
'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 club wrote on X. Fans were speedily evacuated to a safe distance to allow the authorities to tackle the flames. The turnstiles for that part of the ground were taken out of use.
A Manchester City merchandise outlet set on fire ahead of their Champions League clash with Club Bruges. Fans were hastily evacuated from the scene as emergency services tackled the flames. The fire was close to the statue of the sprinter outside the Etihad Stadium.
![[A pop-up merchandising kiosk was the unfortunate victim of the conflagration on Wednesday]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/29/18/94649437-14339179-image-a-39_1738175640872.jpg)
A truck from Greater Manchester's Fire and Rescue service was on the scene within minutes of the blaze breaking out. But the inferno is precisely the sort of disturbance that the hosts do not need as they seek to cling on to their Champions League dreams.
![[Fans were moved to a safe distance once it became clear what was happening]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/29/18/94649465-14339179-image-a-40_1738175813272.jpg)
