Monaco players were forced to strip down to their underpants to escape the heat after air-conditioning malfunctioned ahead of take-off. (Images via Getty Images & X/Screengrabs)

AS Monaco’s travel plans for their Champions League opener against Club Brugge took a bizarre on Wednesday after the team’s charter flight suffered an air conditioning malfunction. The failure left players stranded inside the aircraft in sweltering conditions at Nice airport, forcing many to strip down to their underwear to cope with the heat.Videos posted online by defender Jordan Teze showed players fanning themselves and trying to stay cool as temperatures rose inside the cabin. Members of the squad were later seen stepping onto the tarmac half-dressed after getting out of the aircraft. The Ligue 1 side had been scheduled to depart for Belgium on Wednesday afternoon, but the trip was postponed until the following morning for safety reasons. Head coach Adi Hütter explained the decision to delay the flight, confirming that the squad would remain in Monaco overnight before resuming travel. Watch videos shared by Jordan Teze here“For technical reasons, it was impossible to travel, as everyone’s safety was not guaranteed,” Hütter told reporters, as quoted by AP. “I’ve never experienced that before, but there are some circumstances that you have no influence over. For us, it was a little bit special and not so comfortable. But we are professionals and we prepare as normal for the game.” Despite the unusual circumstances, Hütter said that the disruption would not affect Monaco’s preparations for their UEFA Champions League campaign. The side is set to face Brugge in their group-stage opener on Thursday night before returning home to play against Metz in Ligue 1 this weekend.

While the travel chaos became the talking point of the day, videos of the sweat-soaked players in their innerwear circulated widely on social media, giving a bizarre glimpse into the squad’s struggle with the unexpected issue.