Borussia Dortmund’s Champions League tie with Monaco has been postponed and Marc Bartra has undergone wrist surgery after a number of explosions hit the team bus.
Having been taken to hospital to tend to cuts on his arm as bus windows shattered on impact, the centre-back required an operation with no others physically harmed.
The father of Mikel Merino, the other Spanish footballer of Borussia Dortmund who was inside the bus, told Carrusel Deportivo that the players felt three objects hit the team bus.
“My son was on the bus, he was not scared, the objects have blown glass and the worst part was taken by Batra, two obejcts exploded from behind, Bartra has damaged his arm,” he explained with police confirming the three hits.
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The explosion occurred at the team hotel, just over 10 kilometres from the stadium in Hoechsten, located outside the city, according to police. Any sense of the attackers’ identity has yet to emerge.
“The bus turned into the main street, when there was a huge explosion,” goakeeper Roman Burki recounted to Blick. “I was in the back row next to Bartra, who was hit by shards of the broken window.
“After the explosion, we all ducked down on the bus and got on the floor. We didn’t know what else was going to happen. The police were quickly on the scene and they handled the situation.
Read also: Just In: Dortmund versus Monaco Match Postponed To Wednesday
“We’re all shocked.”
Monaco goalkeeper Danijel Subasic told Croatian daily newspaper 24sata soon after the incident: “We are currently in the stadium, in a safe place, but the feeling’s horrible.”
The club have confirmed the quarter-final first leg to be delayed by a day, and will take place at 18:45 CET on Wednesday.
Police said initial investigations showed that the blasts near Borussia’s team bus on Tuesday were caused by “serious explosives”.
“After the initial investigation, we assume that this was an attack with serious explosives,” Dortmund police said on its @polizei_nrw_do Twitter feed.
BVB said in a statement: “Shortly after the departure of the Borussia Dortmund team bus from the hotel to the stadium there was an incident.
“The bus has been damaged in two places. One person has been injured and is in the hospital. At this point we will inform as soon as we know more.”
Bartra, 26, joined Dortmund for eight million euros last year from Barcelona, after coming through the Catalan club’s youth system. He has made 12 appearances for the Spanish national team.
Borussia Dortmund’s managing director Hans-Joachim Watzke was quoted telling Sky TV: “The whole team is in a state of shock.”
