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Borussia Dortmund’s team bus hit by explosions before Monaco tie Borussia Dortmund’s team bus hit by explosions before Monaco tie
(35 minutes later)
The Champions League fixture between Borussia Dortmund and AS Monaco has been postponed after an explosion hit the coach carrying the Dortmund team, injuring one player. Three explosive devices went off by the side of a coach carrying German football team Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday night, slightly injuring one player.
The incident occurred around 7pm CET in Dortmund’s Höchstem district, around 10 kilometres from the club’s stadium. The incident occurred around 7pm CET in Dortmund’s Höchstem district, around 10k from the club’s stadium.
Police confirmed there were three separate explosions near the coach, bursting the vehicle’s windscreen and injuring one player, identified as defender Marc Bartra. Police confirmed there were three separate explosions near the coach, bursting some of the vehicle’s windows. Defender Marc Bartra sustained non-life-threatening injuries from shards of glass and was taken to hospital.
Bartra, a 12-time Spanish international, had joined last season’s Bundesliga runners up Dortmund last summer. The 26-year-old, who had been due to start in tonight’s match against the French club, has been taken to hospital. The fixture has been cancelled and rescheduled for Wednesday, the club confirmed at 8:30pm CET. A police spokesperson said they so far have no information yet on the nature of the explosive devices or the motive behind the attack.
Police and Borussia Dortmund officials assured supporters that they were not under threat at the stadium and that they should “stay calm” while leaving the stadium. Bartra, a 12-time Spanish international who has been based in Germany with last season’s Bundesliga runners-up Dortmund since last summer, is no stranger to the impact of terrorism on football. In November 2015, a Belgium-Spain friendly was called off due to concerns after the Paris terror attacks. At the time Bartra told reporters: “If we’re going, it’s because it’s safe. We’re calm.”
The team’s remaining players were escorted from the coach by police, who also used drones to search the site for further explosives.
Dortmund’s CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke said the coach carrying the players had only just left their hotel and turned onto the road where the explosive devices were hidden behind a hedge.
“Bartra was injured, on his hand and his arm, but nothing that would be life-threatening,” Watzke said. “The team is obviously in complete shock. Our task is to process this experience, because the match is taking place in less than 24 hours. That’s our job.”
The quarter-final fixture has been cancelled and rescheduled for Wednesday, the club confirmed at 8:30pm CET. Tuesday night’s other match, between Bartra’s former club Barcelona and Juventus, went ahead as scheduled.
Watzke said a crammed match schedule for both teams had made it impossible to postpone the match for more than a day, a fact the Dortmund CEO described as “unfortunate”.
Dortmund goalkeeper Roman Bürki told Swiss newspaper Blick: “I was sat in the back row next to Marc Bartra, who was split by the shards of the burst back window. After the bang everyone in the bus got their heads down, and those who could got down on the ground. We didn’t know whether there would be more. The police arrived quickly, sealed everything off. We are all in shock.”
Police and Borussia Dortmund officials assured supporters that they were not under threat inside the stadium and that they should “stay calm” while leaving the stadium.
A tweet from the German club’s official Twitter account an hour before kick-off at the Westfalenstadion had first alerted news of an incident. “At our bus departure, an incident has occurred. One person was injured. More information to follow,” it read.A tweet from the German club’s official Twitter account an hour before kick-off at the Westfalenstadion had first alerted news of an incident. “At our bus departure, an incident has occurred. One person was injured. More information to follow,” it read.
A later tweet read: “A bomb exploded at the team bus next to the hotel. The players are safe. There is no danger at the stadium.”A later tweet read: “A bomb exploded at the team bus next to the hotel. The players are safe. There is no danger at the stadium.”
Inside the Westfalenstadion supporters of opponents Monaco reportedly reacted to the news with chants of “Dortmund, Dortmund”.
Bombenexplosion am Mannschaftsbus am Mannschaftshotel. Spieler in Sicherheit. Keine Gefahr im und am Stadion. Weitere Infos folgen. #bvbasmBombenexplosion am Mannschaftsbus am Mannschaftshotel. Spieler in Sicherheit. Keine Gefahr im und am Stadion. Weitere Infos folgen. #bvbasm