Bartra recounts bomb attack ordeal
Borussia Dortmund defender Marc Bartra, who was wounded when three bombs rocked his Bundesliga team’s bus, described on Friday his ordeal as “the longest and hardest 15 minutes of my life”.
“The pain, the panic, the uncertainty of not knowing what was happening, or how long it would last... they were the longest and hardest 15 minutes of my life,” the Spanish defender wrote in a message posted on Instagram.
The bombs containing metal pieces detonated minutes after the team bus set off to a Champions League game against Monaco on Tuesday night.
Bartra was hurt by flying glass and had to undergo a wrist operation, taking him out of action for four weeks.
The 26-year-old said “the shock of the past few days is diminishing all the time” and that when he looks at his swollen wrist, what he feels is “pride”.
“I look at it proud thinking of all the damage they wanted to do to us on Tuesday and it resulted in just that,” he said, thanking those who are treating him as well as fans, his team-mates and others who have showered him with support.
“I needed to write and get this off my chest and settle it so I can just think about getting back to 100 percent as soon as possible,” he added.
Three days after the attack that injured Bartra and a policeman who suffered trauma from the noise of the blasts, investigators are still scrambling to find possible culprits.
The probe suffered a setback on Thursday when the sole suspect in custody was cleared of involvement in the crime.