Dinamo Bucharest v Flock of Storks.

You know, I’ve long thought that Bucharest has far too many teams. I’m a firm believer that two teams per city in the top flight is quite enough and three in total should get the job done. Five between the first and second divisions? Tad much. Why not share the love? (Money – yes, yes – I know.) But this isn’t exactly what I had in mind in regards to contraction.

Bucharest nearly lost one of those five teams yesterday when Dinamo Bucharest’s plane, in a moment dripping with eye-popping irony, was hit by a flock of storks, ripping a massive hole in the plane and sending them into an emergency landing. Dinamo 1 – Storks 0.

Thankfully everyone is alright – at least physically. Don’t be surprised if a few more Dennis Bergkamp’s start popping up in Dinamo’s ranks, though – and especially after they walked off the plane only to be greeted by that gaping hole in the plane’s nose.

“We heard something hit us hard so we knew there was some kind of problem. It was only when we landed and we saw how damaged the plane was that we realised how serious it had been.”

That they didn’t realize the gravity was probably best for all involved. No need for unjust panic – or in this case just panic – when it can be avoided.

And all this at the ironic hands – or wings – of storks; a bird typically associated with birth, not plummeting to one’s death in a noseless airplane. Maybe this lot had had enough of their tireless efforts for the thankless task of delivering hundreds of thousands of babies per day and decided to make an effort by taking a football team down with them. Fortunately modern technology > avian depression.

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Category: Romania, World Football