Three explosions went off near the team bus of German football club Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday, injuring Spanish defender Marc Bartra.
Security officials said there was no immediate indication the explosions were terrorism-related.
However, police in Dortmund said they believed it to be “an attack with serious explosive devices”.
The nature of the devices was not immediately known. However it is believed they could have been placed in a hedge near a car park, a spokesman said.
The incident came as the Dortmund squad, currently fourth in the Bundesliga, left the team hotel for the Champions League quarter-final match against French side Monaco.
The first-leg match was postponed until Wednesday, and spectators inside the stadium later left without incident.
Police said there were three separate explosions, bursting one of the vehicle’s windows and injuring one player, later identified by the club as Bartra.
He was taken to hospital with a hand injury, not thought to be serious.
Dortmund’s Swiss goalkeeper Roman Buerki told the Swiss newspaper Blick: “I was sitting in the back row next to Marc Bartra who was hit by shards from the burst back window.
“The bus had turned onto the main road when there was a big bang – a real explosion.”
Police deployed a drone to search for other possible explosive devices in the area around the team hotel, and said they found a suspicious object.
The explosions occurred around 7 pm (3am AEST) in Dortmund’s Hoechsten district, around 10km from the club’s stadium.
Dortmund chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke told Germany’s Sky television there was an “explosive attack in the immediate vicinity of the hotel exit” as the bus moved from the hotel car park into Wittbraeucker Strasse.
“The team and the coaching staff are of course shocked. We must now channel it in some way,” he said.
“It will not be easy to get that out of the mind. In such a crisis situation, all at Borussia pull together. I think the team will feel it tomorrow.”
Club president Reinhard Rauball said: “Of course this is an extremely difficult situation for the players. But they are professionals, and I am convinced that they will put that away and will give a performance tomorrow.”
Government spokesman Steffen Seibert in a Twitter message wished Bartra a speedy recovery and praised Monaco fans in the stadium for chanting support for Dortmund after hearing news of the blasts.
“Great reaction of the Monaco fans. This evening we are all behind @BVB,” he tweeted in German.
International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach also tweeted in support for Borussia.
Dortmund’s Ruhr region rivals Schalke from nearby Gelsenkirchen wished Bartra a speedy recovery and Dortmund fans a safe journey home.
“In moments like these the region holds closely together,” the club tweeted.
Post_hoc
Guest
Yet AS Monaco fans are sleeping on floors and sofas all over the Ruhr valley as guests of another football teams fan because they happen cheer for the wrong team. So maybe celebrate that you nasty excuse. I'd rather you didn't pollute our football tab with your vileness, your kind are not wanted.
Aethelbert
Guest
Someone has attacked a bus and all you can do is complain about fan segregation? You need to get a grip. Please hold on to your humanity, I know we may be "Sokkah" Fans but now isn't the time to air your cheap gripes about the sport in general. You are absolutely disgusting.
Casper
Guest
Post Hoc - I've been to games in Europe, which is why I made the comment. I've even seen away fans sitting in the non-away section escorted out of the ground, simply because they cheered for the wrong team. Just the way it is.
Fadida
Guest
Collingwood *clap clap clap Collingwood *clap clap clap I do wish football had such a great fan culture Casper
Post_hoc
Guest
Pretty rank comment to make on such an occasion, but hey if you need to start a code war that badly you are in serious need of professional help
Post_hoc
Guest
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Post_hoc
Guest
I assume you have not been too many games in Europe casper to make such a stupid comment
Post_hoc
Guest
did you actually read what Nemesis wrote. Home fans have season tickets so they tend to SIT IN THEIR ALLOCATED SEATS. The stadium MUST have a reserved section for away fans, ie they are unable to sell seats in those areas. The home team must allocate a certain percentage to the away fans. This is the same for all games, therefore the same area is always the away teams as the club never sells home fans those tickets. Now some home fans may choose not to go to the game and will sell their tickets legally or illegally to whoever wants them, so in the main you will have MOST fans separated because thats how tickets are sold, but you will also have other fans (home, away, tourists) sitting with the home fans. Not the hard to understand really
Casper
Guest
In Europe it is not like that. Depending on the ground, security won't let you sit with the home fans if you are wearing an away shirt. Even at non-league grounds. You should know that since you reckon you lived there for 9 years. Anyway, to make it simpler for you, there should be no need for security to stand in-between the home fans and the away fans.
Nemesis
Guest
Fans are not segregated at football matches. Only the ignorant people think this. Home season ticket holders sit in designated spots that are reserved for them - just as they do in the local non-football competitions. Away fans who want to sit as a group sit in designated spots reserved for them. Every where else in the stadium opposition fans sit next to each other. So, at a Melbourne Derby, the majority of the stadium we have Victory & City fans sitting next to each other. As I said, ignorant people make ignorant comments about football.
Aethelbert
Guest
What are you on about? Is this some cheap jibe from an AFL cheer squad member? If it is you need a serious look at yourself.
Post_hoc
Guest
Very sad day, targeting a sport team like that. But as is nearly always the way, the good outweighs the bad in this world. Very quickly people started to tweet out #bedforawayfans, as the game is being postponed for 1 days many of the fans didn't have accommodation so they are inviting them to stay. The AS Monaco fans already in the stadium when they learnt of the news started chanting Dortmund in support of the opposing team. We sometimes glib remark on football family but this is a great example