A bus carrying an elite German soccer team to a game was targeted in an attack with “serious explosive devises” that injured at least one player Tuesday, police said.
Borussia Dortmund — widely considered one of the world’s best teams — was headed to a Champions League quarterfinals match in Dortmund when the blast went off, shattering the vehicle’s windows, Sky News reported.
The team’s center-back, Marc Bartra, was injured and rushed to a hospital about an hour before kickoff, the station reported.
“A bomb exploded at the team bus next to the [team’s] hotel. The players are safe. There is no danger at the stadium,” the team tweeted.
The German police chief investigating the explosion said the blasts were a “targeted attack against” the soccer team, AFP reported.
Cops hadn’t determined the exact cause of the explosion, which went off roughly six miles from the Westfalenstadion soccer stadium, according to the UK Guardian.
“The wheels of the bus (whole or partial) burst and one person was injured. It is not yet possible to say exactly what the explosion was or exactly where something exploded,” a law enforcement source told the Guardian.
No other players were hurt and the area in and around the stadium was not a threat to fans, Borussia Dortmund said later.
“The players are safe. There is no danger at the stadium,” the team tweeted.
The team had been scheduled to face off against AS Monaco on Tuesday but the game was postponed until Wednesday night.
One of the team’s star players is American Christian Pulisic, who is from Hershey, Pa., and only 18.
With Post wires
