Bus Attack: UEFA Reschedules Dortmund, Monaco Clash

Recall that the game which was expected to be played on Tuesday, was postponed after three explosives shattered windows and injured a player on the Borussia Dortmund team bus as the German football squad was en route to the Westfalenstadion for the clash.

The location of the blast was roughly 13 kilometers (8 miles) from Westfalenstadion, also known as Signal Iduna Park.

Investigators found near the scene a handwritten letter that claimed responsibility for the attack, prosecutor Sandra Luecke said, adding that one other explosive device failed to go off.

The letter is now being investigated as part of the police hunt for suspects.

Police said the incident was part of a targeted attack. Between 40 and 50 people, including the trainer and medical support staff, were on board the bus.

A preliminary investigation indicates the explosives “could have been hidden in a hedge near a parking lot,” according to an update posted on the Dortmund police website.

Spanish defender Marc Bartra, 26, suffered injuries to an arm and hand, the team said.
Bartra, who has played 29 games in all competitions for the team this season, was treated at the scene and hospitalised.

The team later said Bartra was in surgery for a broken radius, a bone in the forearm and for “bits of debris lodged in his hand.” He will not play Wednesday.

“We hope that he will make a speedy recovery,” Dortmund captain Marcel Schmelzer said on the team website.

“The prevailing mood in the Black and Yellow camp seems to be to play the match on Wednesday for Marc.”

“In such a crisis situation, all of Borussia will pull together,” said chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke.

“The team and coaches were shocked. Now we must channel it in some way.”

Watzke said the “explosive strike on the bus” happened as it left the team hotel, with “three explosive devices placed and triggered on the edge of the road”.

As news of the incident spread inside the stadium, fans of Dortmund’s opponent, AS Monaco, stood, clapped and chanted “Dortmund!”

Kick-off was initially delayed and, with thousands of fans already inside the stadium, the match was postponed 15 minutes before the scheduled kick-off, with Monaco fans chanting in support of their opponents.

Soon after the match was rearranged, people in the Dortmund area offered to host Monaco fans who chose to stay in Germany for an extra night or two, using #bedforawayfans.