Hannover bomb warnings force cancellation of Dutch friendly

Hannover security

November 18 – Germany’s high-profile friendly with traditional rivals the Netherlands on Tuesday night was called off because of an “intention to ignite explosives” at the Hannover stadium.

Police evacuated the stadium less than two hours before kick-off after a “concrete security threat”. German Chancellor Angela Merkel had been set to attend the match at the HDI Arena.

Following the bomb threat, fans were told to return home “quickly, but without panic” and that appears to be exactly what happened.

There were no arrests made and no explosives were found in the stadium but Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said the threat was credible. Reports were that a van, disguised as an ambulance, was found packed with explosives near the stadium. Other public venues were also cleared in Hannover with further reports of a suitcase of explosives being found at a Hannover train station.

De Maiziere told a news conference: “The match was called off on my recommendation. There is a high level of threat for Germany and Europe. When in doubt, the protection of human life is priority.”

Local police chief Volker Kluwe warned of a “concrete danger situation throughout Hannover. We have had concrete evidence that someone wanted to detonate an explosive device at the stadium.”

The game was the second prestige friendly to be postponed this week after Belgium’s encounter with Spain in Brussels, also scheduled to be played on Tuesday night, was called off because of security fears in the wake of the terrorist attacks in Paris.

Reinhard Rauball, the German Football League president, said the cancellation of the Dutch game was “a sad day for Germany and a sad day for German football.”

Reports suggested the world champions had initially not wanted the game to go ahead, having gone through the trauma of last Friday’s suicide bombing outside the Stade de France. The contingent of 80 German players, coaches and staff spent the night in the changing rooms of the stadium after the 2-0 defeat against France, having been advised not to return to their hotels. They slept on mattrasses and were only allowed to leave in the early hours of Saturday morning when it was deemed safe. The French team stayed with them in act of solidarity.

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