Madonna Concert Causes Bundesliga Match to Be Called Off

The decision to postpone the game was taken after a pitch inspection by referee Thorsten Kinhoefer and officials of the German football league.

They said that the field, which had been replaced after the Madonna concert in the stadium on Tuesday, would not be safe for the players and was unplayable.

Frankfurt coach Friedhelm Funkel, who was at the Madonna concert, welcomed the decision, which he described as "a responsible one."

"That is not earth shattering," he said. "It is simply a football match that will not be played."

His Karlsruhe counterpart Edmund Becker, however, was angry at the way in which the postponement occurred.

"We are disgusted," Becker said. "A postponement was already on the cards on Thursday, but we were assured that the game would go ahead. I can not understand how this happened."

Earlier on Friday, Kinhoefer had still said that the game could go ahead.