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The players of the Icelandic team before the game: waiting for the anthem
Photo: Tom Weller / dpa
Before the first European Championship main round game between the German handball players against Iceland in Cologne, there was a breakdown while playing the national anthems.
When it was the Icelanders' turn to introduce themselves before kick-off, incorrect music played.
The players looked irritated - when whistles were heard from fans, the playback was stopped.
The Icelandic anthem sounded distorted and halting.
The reason for this was a technical problem with the audio player on the laptop, the organizers announced in the evening.
“We apologize to the Icelandic team,” said the hall spokesman.
The 19,750 fans in the sold-out Lanxess Arena bridged the one-minute break with shouts of Iceland before the national anthem continued with the usual sound quality.
It was also sung along by national coach Alfred Gíslason.
For the 64-year-old Icelander, it was his first competitive game against his home country.
The game finally started slightly late.
aeh/dpa/sid