Lech Poznan reach Faroe Islands after two-day disruption and will play Europa League second leg on Thursday night
Poland’s champions Lech Poznan will play their Europa League second leg against Faroese champions KÍ Klaksvík on Thursday night after two days of travel disruption caused by heavy fog that repeatedly prevented planes landing in the Faroe Islands.
Lech won the first leg 1-0 in Poznan courtesy of a late goal from Ivorian striker Yannick Agnero, but the return fixture became a race against time as the squad attempted to reach Vágar, the Faroe Islands’ only airport. Heavy fog affected their travel across two days, forcing the team into prolonged waits and altering flight plans that were scheduled to bring them to the islands well ahead of kick-off.
On Wednesday the squad were placed on standby for several hours before the flight was called off because of poor weather at the destination. The team boarded early on Thursday morning, but the aircraft was held in a holding pattern off the west coast of Norway for 40 minutes and then diverted to Bergen.
After several more hours in Norway and discussions with KÍ Klaksvík and UEFA, Lech attempted a late crossing of the Norwegian Sea and departed Bergen on Thursday afternoon, just over four hours before the original kick-off time. The plane landed at Vágar just before 3.30pm local time.
Lech’s flights attracted widespread attention on the Flightradar tracking service as thousands of fans followed the journey, and the club’s social media account prematurely posted that they were "cleared for takeoff" before the aircraft was diverted. The team had used a private charter service, Comlux, rather than the Faroese national carrier.
KÍ Klaksvík advise visiting teams to arrive two days before matches to allow for weather disruption and encourage clubs to fly with Atlantic Airways because of the airline’s experience landing in difficult conditions; three Atlantic Airways planes did land on the island on Thursday morning before conditions worsened again. The Faroe Islands’ weather has disrupted other visitors this summer: two opponents of NSÍ Runavík were delayed, forcing late matchday arrivals, and NSÍ Runavík are set to play FC Lugano this afternoon after the Swiss team arrived on Tuesday.
Lech’s domestic rivals Legia Warsaw posted on social media mocking the travel saga, advising Radomiak Radom to plan travel well ahead and use public transport with a mock-up of a bus tracking service.
Both clubs confirmed the kick-off has been moved to 8.45pm to accommodate Lech’s late arrival.