Sao Viet

Cardiff City stadium chief hits back as ‘freak of nature’ RAT halts Wales vs Belgium World Cup qualifier

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by

Binh
in

Cardiff City stadium chief hits back as ‘freak of nature’ RAT halts Wales vs Belgium World Cup qualifier

One Real Madrid player tried to catch the rodent

Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois made an unsuccessful attempt to catch the rodent during Belgium‘s 4-2 win before Wales substitute Brennan Johnson ushered the rat off the pitch

A rat runs across a bright green sports pitch.
A rat halted play during Wales vs BelgiumCredit: Getty
Belgium's Thibaut Courtois tries to catch a rat that ran onto the pitch during a soccer match.
Thibaut Courtois tried to catch the rodentCredit: Reuters
Brennan Johnson of Wales watches a rat on the pitch.
Brennan Johnson ushered it off the pitchCredit: Alamy

The rat then slipped past a ball boy and disappeared behind the VAR monitor and was not seen again.

Cardiff City head of operations, Wayne Nash, who is also the security manager for the Football Association of Wales and Uefa, defended the club’s pest control policy.

He said: “It’s something I’ve not seen in my 36 years at Cardiff City.

“We’ve had a stray dog on the pitch but this was something new, a freak of nature.

Nash continued: “We pick up litter and food like half-eaten burgers straight after games. Everything is put away.

“They say you are never too far from a rat, especially in cities, and this one managed to get in.

“People have seen a rat on the pitch as quite funny, but it does have serious undertones.

“If I was the ball boy or Brennan Johnson I would have run a mile.”