Lech Poznań stranded in Norway as fog forces flight diversion before Europa League qualifier
Fog at Vágar airport forced Lech Poznań's plane to divert to Bergen, Norway, two days after their Wednesday flight was cancelled, putting Thursday's Europa League qualifier against KI Klaksvik in doubt.
Wednesday's cancelled flight
Lech Poznań, the Polish champions, were originally scheduled to depart for the Faroe Islands on Wednesday, 12 August at 14:30, aiming to spend the night before the return leg of their Europa League third qualifying round tie against KI Klaksvik. Fog and strong winds enveloped Vágar airport, the only airport in the country, forcing the flight to be cancelled. The club waited over two and a half hours for a decision from aviation authorities while maintaining contact with UEFA and exploring alternative options. Among the possibilities discussed was postponing the match to Friday. Coach Niels Frederiksen recorded a video message for the club's social media explaining that the club was in contact with UEFA and that the match might need to be played a day later, on Friday. The club eventually announced that the team would fly on Thursday at 8:00 instead, with the match remaining scheduled for its original Thursday 19:30 slot.
Thursday's second attempt
The flight was rescheduled to Thursday morning at 8:00, though the departure from Poznań-Ławica airport was delayed until 9:12. The club's social media accounts were unusually active, posting updates and videos every few minutes, and the long-awaited announcement that the plane had taken off came shortly after 9:00. The Boeing 737 was tracked by over 7,000 people simultaneously on flightradar24.com, making it the most-viewed aircraft on the entire platform at that moment. Landing was planned for approximately 10:46 at Tórshavn, with one source indicating 11:25. When the plane was over Norway, it began circling and it became clear it would not land on time. Pilots did not receive clearance to land at Vágar due to continuing fog over the airport. The aircraft was diverted to Bergen, Norway, as reported by Interia journalist Radosław Nawrot.
- Original Wednesday flight from Poznań scheduled for 14:30
- Flight cancelled after over 2.5 hours of waiting due to fog at Vágar
- Rescheduled Thursday departure time announced by the club
- Flight departs from Poznań-Ławica airport
- Planned landing at Tórshavn (one source indicated 11:25)
- Plane diverts to Bergen, Norway due to fog at Vágar
- Match kickoff scheduled for 19:30 Polish time
Match in jeopardy
The return leg is scheduled for Thursday at 19:30 Polish time, 18:30 local time. With the team stranded in Bergen, it remains unclear whether the match will proceed as planned or be postponed. UEFA has not yet announced a decision. Lech holds a narrow 1:0 lead from the first leg in Poznań, where Yannick Agnero scored the only goal in the 81st minute. The winner of this two-legged tie will advance to the next qualifying round to face either FC Thun of Switzerland or Vikingur Reykjavik of Iceland. FC Thun won their first leg 3:0.
Logistical complications
Even if the team reaches the Faroe Islands, time will be tight. The club's hotel is located in Klaksvik, approximately one hour's drive from the match venue in Tórshavn, further compressing already limited preparation time. The club had originally planned to fly out on Wednesday to allow players a night's rest before the match. Two failed attempts to reach the islands in two days have left the Polish champions in a race against time to make the scheduled kickoff.
