Lech Poznan's Europa League trip to the Faroe Islands turned into an unexpected saga this week as thick fog repeatedly grounded the Polish champions' flight, threatening to derail their second-leg tie against KÍ Klaksvík.
Lech arrived at Thursday's fixture holding a slender 1-0 advantage from the first leg in Poznan, secured by a late strike from Ivorian forward Yannick Agnero. But turning that lead into progress to the next round first required getting the squad onto Faroese soil, a task that proved far tougher than anticipated.
The club spent two days attempting to land at Vágar, the Faroe Islands' sole airport, only to be thwarted repeatedly by heavy fog that made safe landings impossible. Frustration mounted on Wednesday as the team was left waiting for hours without a resolution. Head coach Niels Frederiksen was recorded telling his players that indecision could not continue indefinitely, insisting a decision on departure needed to be made soon.
"If we fly tomorrow morning and play tomorrow then we will have to leave quite early, so we still have the possibility to rest," Frederiksen told his squad on Wednesday, weighing up the logistical challenge against his players' need for recovery time before kickoff.
Thursday brought fresh drama. The team boarded their plane early in the morning, with Lech's social media account jumping the gun by announcing they were "cleared for takeoff." That optimism proved premature — the aircraft was instead forced into a holding pattern off Norway's west coast for roughly 40 minutes before being diverted to land in Bergen. The saga captured widespread attention, with Lech's flight briefly becoming the most-tracked journey worldwide on Flightradar as supporters anxiously followed the team's progress in real time.
With the situation unresolved, Lech officials entered discussions with UEFA over whether Thursday's match at Tórsvøllur Stadium should proceed as scheduled or be pushed back to allow more time for the squad to complete their journey.
The difficulties partly stemmed from logistical choices. KÍ Klaksvík typically advise visiting sides to arrive at least two days before matches to account for the region's unpredictable weather, and recommend traveling with Atlantic Airways, the Faroese national carrier experienced in navigating tricky landing conditions. Three of the airline's aircraft successfully touched down on Thursday morning before conditions deteriorated once more. Lech, however, had opted to travel via private charter operator Comlux.
Such weather-related disruptions are not unusual for clubs visiting the Faroe Islands. Another Faroese side, NSÍ Runavík, competing in the Conference League, saw two of their opponents delayed by similar conditions earlier this summer, leading to late arrivals on matchday. Runavík were themselves due to host FC Lugano the same afternoon, with the Swiss club having wisely arrived two days in advance.
Back home, Lech's travel woes did not go unnoticed by domestic rivals. Legia Warsaw took the opportunity to poke fun at their competitors on social media, jokingly advising their upcoming league opponents, Radomiak Radom, to plan travel carefully and consider public transport, complete with a mock bus-tracking graphic.
Eventually, Lech's charter departed Bergen for Vágar on Thursday afternoon, with the club confirming that, weather permitting, kickoff would be pushed to 8.45pm local time — over two hours behind the original schedule — bringing a chaotic 48 hours of travel to a belated resolution.
Based on reporting from The Guardian.