The presidents of FIFA and UEFA have condemned what German authorities are treating as a deliberate bomb attack on the Borussia Dortmund team bus on Tuesday.
Three explosions damaged the coach as it made its way from the team hotel to Signal Iduna Park for the Champions League quarterfinal first leg with Monaco.
Defender Marc Bartra was forced to undergo surgery after sustaining a fractured wrist in the incident, which police are viewing as a “targeted attack” on the Bundesliga side.
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin expressed his distress at the scenes in Dortmund and praised the decision to postpone the match until Wednesday.
“I was deeply disturbed by the explosions which occurred in Dortmund,” he said in a statement. “The decision taken to postpone the UEFA Champions League match between Borussia Dortmund and AS Monaco was the correct one since we must always prioritise the safety and security of all fans, team officials and players.
“I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the representatives of the two clubs, the local authorities, and the supporters for their cooperation on the ground.”
FIFA chief GIanni Infantino stated world football’s governing body would continue to monitor the investigation into the incident and Bartra’s recovery.
“The thoughts of every one of us at FIFA are with the people of Dortmund, and the fans of both Borussia Dortmund and Monaco following today’s troubling events,” he said. “We are closely monitoring the condition of BVB’s Marc Bartra, and wish him a speedy recovery from his injuries.
“FIFA condemn the incidents in Dortmund. We are all awaiting further details of the incident.”
Police revealed that a letter claiming responsibility for the blasts had been found at the crime scene and was being examined in order to ascertain its authenticity.
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