3 blasts hit footie team bus
THREE explosions hit a bus taking Borussia Dortmund players to their home Champions League match against Monaco last night.
Defender Marc Bartra was injured and the match was postponed as police flooded
into the area. Dortmund police said: “After the initial investigation, we assume that this was an attack with serious explosives.”
They stressed there was no danger in or around the stadium, where 80,000 fans were expected.
The bus was leaving the team hotel shortly after 7pm when the blasts hit.
It is believed the explosives were planted in bushes along the road.
Windows on the coach were blown out and tyres were burst.
Bartra, 26, was taken to hospital, where he had surgery for a broken bone in his hand.
Dortmund reserve keeper Roman Burki was sitting next to the Spanish internationalist on the bus.
Burki said: “We left the hotel at 7.15 pm. The bus turned to the main road, when there was a huge boom – a real explosion.
“After the bang, we all ducked in the bus and who could, laid on the ground.”
The blasts happened in the Hochsten area of Dortmund, about six miles from the team’s home ground of Signal Iduna Park.
The club’s CEO HansJoachim Watzke said the “whole team is in a shock”.
Fans in the stadium were told the news by loudspeaker and on big screens before officials postponed the quarter final match until tonight.
Police said: “It is not yet possible to say exactly what the explosion was.”
BT Sport commentator Derek Rae, from Aberdeen, was in the stadium to cover the match.
He said: “The fans were in shock. I can only begin to imagine what the players were going through.
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