Monaco left in underwear as plane issue disrupts Champions League travel
Plane trouble forces Monaco players to strip to their underwear on the tarmac; coach Adi Hutter says safety concerns postponed travel to Belgium ahead of Club Brugge opener.
AS Monaco's Champions League preparations were thrown into chaos on Wednesday after their flight to Brugge was grounded by a technical fault in the aircraft's air conditioning system, turning the cabin into a sauna and forcing players to strip down to their underwear on the tarmac. Monaco are heading to Belgium ahead of Thursday's opening game in Europe against Club Brugge, aiming to improve on last season's showing after being knocked out by Benfica in the last-32.
A video posted on social media by Monaco midfielder Jordan Teze showed the brutal heat aboard the plane, with players fanning themselves and trying to cool down. Teze's footage later captured the squad disembarking, half-naked on the runway as they awaited a revised travel plan.
Monaco coach Adi Hutter confirmed the squad would travel to Bruges on Thursday, after the club postponed departure because safety could not be guaranteed. The decision was made in agreement with chief executive Thiago Scuro, and the club noted that they had previously traveled the same day for a match in Auxerre earlier in the week.
The disruption leaves Monaco with a tight schedule: Thursday's game against Club Brugge is followed by a quick turnaround, with Metz visiting in Ligue 1 on Sunday afternoon. The club's leadership has emphasized that the delay was taken in the best interest of the players' safety and performance. Monaco finished last season by being eliminated by Benfica in the Europa League knockout stage, and officials say they are eager to avoid further travel hiccups as they push to advance in Europe this term.