The masked man climbed to the roof as lightning hit the Dortmund stadium (Photo: Mail/Getty)
Police have confirmed a man was arrested after he climbed onto the stadium roof during the Euro 2024 match between Germany and Denmark on Saturday.
Footage has emerged of a masked man walking in the rafters of the Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund after the match, before being taken away by armed police.
He was initially spotted in the roof while the game was temporarily suspended after a huge storm hit the area, with lightning striking the stadium.
In a statement on Sunday, Dortmund police confirmed the arrest and revealed that the man in question poised no danger to the public and was instead a photographer:
‘According to initial findings, the 21-year-old wanted to take photos on the roof of the stadium, as he had done elsewhere in Germany. He was carrying camera equipment in a backpack.
‘At no point was there any danger to other people in the stadium. The Dortmund police are currently ruling out a political motivation.
‘Since the police became aware of the situation in the stadium at 10:11 pm, they were able to observe the 21-year-old continuously and assess the situation at all times. He posed no danger. The police deployed their own forces, drones and a helicopter to ensure continuous observation.
‘The man finally followed the police’s instructions and returned to a walkway under the roof at 11:44 p.m. Special forces arrested him there, handcuffed him and searched him. The man was not carrying any dangerous objects with him.
‘Criminal proceedings are underway. During questioning by the criminal police on Sunday night, the man from Osnabruck stated that he only wanted to take “good photos”.
Kai Havertz opened the scoring for Germany against Denmark (Photo: Getty)
‘He was released from police custody after the initial investigation was completed. The investigation is not yet complete.’
‘UEFA and the Dortmund police will follow up on this situation and investigate how the accused was able to enter the stadium unhindered and get onto the roof.
‘The Dortmund police are currently unable to provide any further information, including on how the man was able to get into the stadium and what consequences will be drawn from the incident.’
Hosts Germany made it through to the quarter-finals of the Euros with a nervy 2-0 win over Denmark, courtesy of goals from Kai Havertz and Jamal Musiala.
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