Spidercam catches fire and crashes onto pitch during Hungary-Kazakhstan friendly, narrowly missing cameraman
A suspended TV camera caught fire and plunged more than 20 metres onto the field at Nagyerdei Stadium in Debrecen, landing two metres from a cameraman and forcing a stoppage in the first half.
What happened
A spidercam suspended above the pitch at Nagyerdei Stadium in Debrecen began emitting black smoke midway through the first half of Tuesday's friendly between Hungary and Kazakhstan. Hungarian media reported that a fire damaged one of the supporting cables, causing the camera to plunge from a height of more than 20 metres. The device landed just inside the touchline near Hungary's warm-up area, approximately two metres from a cameraman who was filming the match from the sideline. Nobody was injured.
According to witnesses, it flew almost twenty metres before smashing to pieces near the Hungarian technical zone, right next to one of the standing cameramen.
Match interruption
The referee halted play in the 26th minute while safety personnel removed the wreckage and secured the area. Players used the unplanned stoppage as a drinks break. After several minutes, the match resumed without further incident. Kazakhstan were leading 1-0 at the time of the interruption, having scored through Serhiy Malyi in the ninth minute.
The result
Hungary recovered after the break to win 3-1. Dominik Szoboszlai, András Schäfer, and Rajmund Tóth scored for the hosts. Neither Hungary nor Kazakhstan qualified for the upcoming World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, which begins on 11 June.
- Kazakhstan take the lead through Serhiy Malyi in the 9th minute.
- Spidercam begins smoking, then falls from over 20 metres; referee halts play.
- Wreckage cleared and match resumes after several minutes.
- Hungary complete a 3-1 comeback with goals from Szoboszlai, Schäfer, and Tóth.
Safety debate reignited
The incident has renewed discussion about the safety of spidercam systems, which are increasingly common in sports broadcasting. La Vanguardia noted that several similar incidents have occurred in recent years across different competitions, though most have ended without injuries. The images from Debrecen spread rapidly on social media, with many fans commenting that the outcome could have been far worse.
The images from Debrecen have reopened the debate on the safety measures for these devices, which are increasingly common in sports broadcasts.
Close call
Multiple sources emphasised how narrowly tragedy was avoided. The camera landed just metres from a pitch-side operator who was focused on filming the match and did not see the danger above. No players were passing through the area at the moment of impact either. The spidercam was described as a large piece of equipment, and the footage of its smoking descent and crash became one of the most widely shared sports clips of the day.
