The Dutch stadium where Everton recorded a landmark European victory in 2007 might not reopen for several months after a roof partially collapsed on Saturday.
An investigation is being conducted after a section of the roof at AZ's AFAS Stadion in the city of Alkmaar fell down onto the seating below during high winds.
Fortunately nobody was injured as the 17,023 capacity stadium was empty at the time but some of the second round of Eredivisie matches for the 2019/20 season were played that day.
AZ's fixture over the weekend was a 2-0 win at RKC Waalwijk on Sunday but their next home game, a Europa League third qualifying round pairing with Ukrainian outfit FC Mariupol on Thursday, will now take place at the 15,000 capacity Cars Jeans Stadion, home of ADO Den Haag, situated some 50 miles south in The Hague.
AZ's stadium was only built in 2006 – it officially opened on August 4 that year with a friendly against Arsenal who had switched from Highbury to the Emirates that same summer – and Everton's visit in the UEFA Cup the following year was a memorable night for travelling Blues.
Heading into the fixture, AZ had amassed the longest unbeaten home record in European football, going back some 32 games and beating a previous best set by Ipswich Town.
With his own side having already qualified for the knockout stages, David Moyes was able to make several changes to his regular line-up but AZ, coached by Louis van Gaal, the man who would later replace the Scot at Manchester United, still needing a win to reach the last 32.
Playing in freezing December conditions, Everton won 3-2 thanks to goals from Andrew Johnson, Phil Jagielka and James Vaughan with 16-year-old Jack Rodwell coming off the bench to make his senior debut and become the club's youngest-ever player in European competition.
Current Blues director of football Marcel Brands was employed in a similar position by AZ at the time while Gretar Steinsson, who is now Brands' chief European scout for Everton was in the AZ starting line-up.
Speaking after Saturday's roof collapse, AZ general manager Robert Eenhoorn said: “This surprised us all. We are very shocked but especially happy that there was no human suffering.
“In the coming days we will conduct a study with experts in this field. Only when that investigation has been done can we elaborate on the matter. It is much too early for that now.”
