Borussia bus terror shook me
PEP GUARDIOLA admits the terror attack in Dortmund left him scared.
The Manchester City boss was reacting to the incident that led to Borussia’s Champions League game with Monaco being delayed 24 hours after three pipe bombs exploded next to the team bus on the way to the game on Tuesday.
But while Guardiola insists football must carry on in the face of such adversity, he admitted he was left shaken.
Guardiola said: “It’s a bit scary how the world is. It’s going a bit crazy.
“What’s happening in Syria... hopefully the president of the United States, the presidents of Russia and China, can intervene and find a solution, because if not we don’t know where we’ll end up. We have to keep living without fear, but these things can happen.”
Thankfully the only injury was suffered by defender Marc Bartra who will be out for a month with hand and wrist injuries.
Guardiola added: “I hope Marc has a fantastic recovery. In terms of what happened, it was scary and serious, but he lived to tell the tale.
“But we’re in a world where we don’t know where we’ll end
up, that’s the truth. I don’t know where we’re heading.”
Horrified Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, above, claimed he saw ‘shock in the eyes’ of his former Dortmund players after the attack.
Klopp, who managed Dortmund for seven years from 2008-15, said: “Probably everyone can imagine it was a difficult moment for me.
“In the interviews after the game I could see the faces of my former players and I saw shock in their eyes.
“I know the team hotel from my time with Dortmund, I know exactly the road. A lot of my friends were on the bus.
“I immediately tried to get some information because I was concerned and scared for them and how it was for everybody.
“In the first moment it looked like relief and not too serious, then the more information you got, the more serious it got and that was really difficult.”
Everton boss Ronald Koeman joined Klopp in condemning the attack and felt that the timing of the rescheduled tie less than 24 hours later affected its outcome.
“It’s really strange for them because if you’re involved it’s difficult to prepare for the game as you’d like and maybe that was one of the reasons why Dortmund lost,” Koeman said.
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic said: “Those people are doing those kind of things because they don’t want us to feel secure – not just footballers but you and me and the whole world.
“Nobody is secure, that is true. But you have to try to continue with your normal life.
“We sympathise with Dortmund of course and it was such a shock. You have to continue to do your job – you have to continue with your life.
“I remember once when I was in Turkey when Fenerbahce played Trabzonspor and the coach got attacked. There was a shotgun or something and it only just missed the driver and they were driving at 80mph, it was so close.
“I don’t know how the authorities can stop it.”