Dortmund v Monaco game postponed after explosion at team bus injures Marc Bartra
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Updated 11/04/2017 at 21:10 GMT
The Champions League quarter-final first leg between Borussia Dortmund and Monaco has been postponed until Wednesday after an explosion by the team bus prior to kick-off injured Marc Bartra.
Borussia Dortmund's damaged bus is pictured after an explosion
Image credit: AFP
Dortmund confirmed that defender Bartra was injured in an explosion and is currently in hospital recovering. Chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke said the player had suffered a slight injury to his hand:
The current situation seems to be this. As the team came out of their hotel on the Wittbraucker Strasse, this is what I've been told by the police, there were explosive devices hidden in the hedge and they were somehow detonated. And there of course the team bus was affected. Marc Bartra was injured he has injuries on his hand and his arm and he is being treated. He is in hospital, but it's not in any way life-threatening. The team of course is completely shocked, and our task is now to deal with it.
The Spaniard was "okay but in shock”, according to Barcelona-based paper Sport.
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Dortmund's Spanish defender Marc Bartra (R) arrives to give a press conference
Image credit: AFP
German police said explosions occurred shortly after 6pm near the team bus at Wittbraucker Strass which broke the windows of the vehicle.
A police spokesperson told AP there were, "three explosions near the team bus as they left the hotel to go to the stadium... there was one player injured inside and damage to a window."
Police later added: "After the initial investigation, we assume that this was an attack with serious explosives."
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Ambulances are pictured inside stadium after the team bus of Borussia Dortmund had some windows broken by an explosion some 10km away from the stadium
Image credit: AFP
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Dortmund's Gabonese forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (L) and his teammates leave the scene
Image credit: AFP
The game will now be played on Wednesday at 6:45pm local time, 5:45pm UK time.
Bartra's former team Barcelona tweeted in support of the right-back.
Dortmund tweeted to say that their players were safe. "Bomb explosion at the team bus at the team hotel. Players are safe. No hazard in and at the stadium. More information to follow.”
The local police force - Polizei Nordrhein-Westfalen Dortmund - earlier stated on Twitter: "In the area of #Dortmund #Hochsten, an #Explosion has taken place. We have strong forces on the ground. The situation is still unclear."
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