Kind-hearted Germans have offered Monaco fans a place to stay after three explosions hit the Borussia Dortmund team bus – forcing their Champions League match to be postponed tonight.
The explosions happened as the German club’s bus was leaving L’Arrivee Hotel and Spa, about six miles from the stadium, Signal Iduna Park, for their quarter final clash with the French side.
Defender Marc Bartra was injured in the explosion and was taken to hospital, the team said on Twitter, wishing the player a quick recovery. Tonight’s match was postponed following the explosion and has been rescheduled for tomorrow.
Thousands of Monaco supporters made the 730-mile trip for the match and the majority were in the stadium before it was called off.
And many kind people in Dortmund took to Twitter to offer their homes as a place to stay for tonight and tomorrow, using the #bedforawayfans.
Kind-hearted people in Germany have offered Monaco fans a place to stay after three explosions hit the Borussia Dortmund team bus – forcing their Champions League match to be postponed tonight
The campaign appeared to be a success as pictures emerged of visiting supporters in the homes of Dortmund fans
Two Monaco supporters appear to be staying on the sofa bed at the home of a Borussia Dortmund fan tonight
Pictured are AS Monaco fans at the home of a Borussia Dortmund supporter
Thousands of Monaco supporters made the 730-mile trip for the match and the majority were in the stadium before it was called off
Thousands of Monaco supporters made the 730-mile trip for the match and the majority were in the stadium before it was called off
And many kind people in Dortmund have taken to Twitter to offer their homes as a place to stay for tonight and tomorrow, using the #bedforawayfans
Vespafoto tweeted: ‘Dear @AS_Monaco_ES fan. We have accomodation (sic) for for 5 people tonight to stay in Dortmund until tomorrow, just message me #bedforawayfans.
His offer was quickly taken by a group of four French supporters and the Twitter user posted a picture of himself with his new friends – eating and drinking at his dinner table.
The hashtag caught on and was endorsed by both clubs, with Dortmund saying: ‘Dear supporter of @AS_Monaco_EN! If you need accommodation in Dortmund, please check #bedforawatyfans.
The social media site was also used by Monaco fans asking for help. The campaign appeared to be a success as many pictures emerged of visiting supporters in the homes of Dortmund fans.
Monaco also offered their fans 80 euros each to get hotel rooms for the night.
Meanwhile, the chief executive of Borussia Dortmund, Hans-Joachim Watzke, said police informed him that the explosives that went off near the team bus were hidden by the exit of a hotel and detonated as the bus passed.
Dortmund police spokeswoman Nina Vogt said investigators do not yet know the source of the explosions.
Watzke said: ‘It’s our task now to digest this somehow because it’s only 24 hours before we have to play. That’s our job.’
AS Monaco fans react as the UEFA Champions League quarter final first leg match against Borussia Dortmund at Signal Iduna Park is postponed
Police confirmed that there was no immediate danger to anyone in and around their stadium
In the immediate aftermath of the explosions, Dortmund said there was ‘no cause for concern’ for those at the stadium, and added the club were in close contact with the emergency services and UEFA
The social media site was also used with Monaco fans asking for help. Pictured are French supporters outside the stadium
Fans of AS Monaco leave the Signal Iduna Park area after the match was postponed
Police confirmed that there was no immediate danger to anyone in and around their stadium
Police confirmed that there was no immediate danger to anyone in and around their stadium.
Explosive devices were placed in a bush by the road along which the bus was travelling.
‘The explosive devices were placed outside the bus. Several windows were broken,’ police spokesman Gunnar Wortmann was quoted as saying.
In a statement, Dortmund police said earlier that they could not say ‘exactly what the explosion was or exactly where something exploded’.
‘According to what is currently known, the windows of the bus were (entirely or partly) smashed and one person was injured,’ Dortmund police said, adding that the incident happened in Hoechsten, located outside the city.
Several windows were smashed in the explosion, and Bartra, a Spanish national, was the only player to be taken to hospital.
The Borussia Dortmund team bus has been hit by an explosion while carrying the squad to their Champions League quarter-final against Monaco, with one player taken to hospital
Images of the bus following the explosion show shattered windows, with glass covering the ground
Defender Marc Bartra was injured in the explosion and was taken to hospital, the team said on Twitter, wishing the player a quick recovery
Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper Roman Buerki said the team bus had just pulled out of the hotel driveway when it was rocked by an explosion.
Buerki told Swiss daily Blick that ‘there was a huge bang, literally an explosion’ that sent glass flying about.
The Swiss keeper said he was sitting in the last row of the bus, next to Bartra. He said Bartra was hit by shards of glass from the broken back window.
Buerki added that players ducked for cover, wondering if there would be more explosions. He said police were at the scene quickly.
The goalkeeper told Blick: ‘We’re all shocked. Nobody thought about a football match in the minutes after that.’
The team’s Twitter confirmed the incident took place as the bus was leaving the team’s hotel, L’Arrivee, a 12-minute drive from the stadium – Signal Iduna Park
Emergency vehicles arrived on scene shortly after the explosions and took Bartra to the hospital
Bartra, the only player injured in the explosion, joined the club from Barcelona last year, and his former club were quick to wish him well.
‘All of our support to @MarcBartra, @BVB and their fans,’ Barcelona tweeted in support of their former player.
Bartra, 26, joined Dortmund for eight million euros ($8.48million, £6.79million) 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 told Sky TV: ‘The whole team is in a state of shock.’
Monaco striker Radamel Falcao also sent his best wishes to the player and his club, tweeting: ‘I’m sorry for everything that has happened. We are all well. I wish a speedy recovery to Marc Bartra.’
Dortmund also released a statement explaining what happened.
‘Shortly after the departure of the Borussia Dortmund team bus from the hotel to the stadium there was an incident,’ Dortmund said in a statement.
‘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.’
In the immediate aftermath of the explosions, Dortmund said there was ‘no cause for concern’ for those at the stadium, and added the club were in close contact with the emergency services and UEFA.