A family of ducks temporarily disrupted a friendly football match between Russia's Zenit St. Petersburg and Bulgaria's FC Ludogorets after wandering onto the pitch several times during play.
The seven ducks eventually had to be ushered off the field by the referee, who blew loudly on his whistle as he herded them out of the stadium, a video uploaded Wednesday to YouTube shows.
Given the amount of rain that fell during the match, the ducks could be forgiven for mistaking the field for a pond. The game in the Austrian town of Stegersbach was eventually called off because of the appalling weather conditions, Zenit said on its website.
The intrusive ducks are not the only creatures to have unintentionally trespassed onto the field of play during a football match.
During an English Premier League match between Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur in 2012, play had to be halted after a cat found its way onto the pitch and began careering around it wildly before being removed.
And spare a thought for Swiss player Loris Benito, who was bitten by a pine marten as he tried to stop it from running amok during a 2013 game between FC Thun and Zurich.
Watch the video:
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
![paiment methods](https://static.themoscowtimes.com/img/contribute/payment_icons.png)
Remind me later.