Ayhan Şimşek
17 November 2015•Update: 18 November 2015
BERLIN
Police in Germany called off an international football match against the Netherlands less than two hours before kick-off due to a “serious security threat” on Tuesday evening.
The international game in Hannover was due to get underway at 8.45 p.m. local time (1945GMT) but was cancelled at around 7.10 p.m. (1810GMT).
“We have concrete information that someone wanted to ignite explosives in the stadium,” Hannover’s police chief Volker Kluwe told German press agency DPA.
Police evacuated the 49,000-capacity HDI Arena, telling supporters not to panic and to return home.
Lower Saxony Interior Minister Boris Pistorius told reporters intelligence about a possible bomb attack was received several hours before the match.
“There have been no arrests so far and as for the question of if we have found any explosives, up to now my answer is ‘No’,” he said.
Federal Interior Minister Thomas de Maizire said the decision to cancel the match was taken after the authorities received firmer information on the threat, by which time Chancellor Angela Merkel had arrived in Hannover for the game.
De Maiziere declined to give details about the threat.
Germany’s Bild daily reported that the intelligence on a potential attack was provided by French authorities.
Merkel and her Cabinet were due to attend the friendly between Germany and the Netherlands in a stance against terrorism in the aftermath of Paris attacks that left 129 dead.
Included in Friday night’s targets was an international fixture between France and Germany at Stade de France in northern Paris. Three suicide bombers detonated their explosives outside the ground, killing themselves and a bystander.
Tuesday’s friendly between Belgium and Spain in Brussels was called off Monday over security fears.
