Former BVB professional Bartra: “I was scared to death”
According to club boss Hans-Joachim Watzke, the fact that three explosive devices detonated there five years ago on the descent to the quarter-finals in the Champions League against Monaco no longer causes sleepless nights for those who suffered in the past: “The players who were affected processed it.“
In the period immediately after April 11, 2017, however, most professionals did not find it easy. Months after the assassination, many players at the trial against the assassin spoke openly of anxiety and insomnia.
Above all, Marc Bartra, who injured his arm in the attack and has meanwhile moved to Spain, gave a deep look into his inner workings: “I was scared to death. I feared I would never see my family again.” Goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller was similarly shocked: “The incident changed my life.”
Motive causes bewilderment
It was only with a lot of luck that most of the bus occupants, such as German internationals Matthias Ginter and Julian Weigl, escaped serious injuries when finger-length metal bolts shattered some windows after three bombs detonated and some of them drilled into the headrests of the seats.
Evidence such as a letter of confession found at the crime scene initially pointed to an attack by Islamists. Right-wing or militant football fans were also the focus of the investigators a little later.
The actual motive of the perpetrator still stuns Watzke today. “There was no political motive for this attack. It was just someone who did something so unbelievable out of personal greed.”, said the BVB managing director of the German press agency dpa. The fact that the assassin had bet a lot of money on the BVB share price drop caused by the attack makes the act an unprecedented crime in German criminal history.
On November 27, 2018, the then 29-year-old assassin was found guilty of 28 attempted murders and sentenced to 14 years in prison.
Dispute between Tuchel and Watzke
The events also had a long-lasting effect within the club. The relationship between the coach and the board was irreparably damaged. The question of whether the game against Monaco should have been made up for the next day led to a public dispute between Watzke and Thomas Tuchel.
Even the cup victory on May 27, 2017 in Berlin against Frankfurt could not smooth the waves. Just three days later, both sides announced their separation. “There was a big dissent between me and Aki Watzke”the football teacher confessed a little later, “probably the biggest disagreement was that I was on the bus and he wasn’t.”
Most emotional phase for Watzke as club boss
Many months later, Watzke described the decision, which was forced by UEFA and supported by large parts of the team, as the right one.
“That evening and the day after that, we all still had the feeling that it was a terrorist attack. It was simply a question of whether you as a society want to set an example, considering that you are asking the players to do something almost inhuman , or not. That was the real message.”
The side lost the hastily made up quarter-final game against Monaco 2-3 and were eliminated a week later after a 3-1 loss in the Principality.
Source: dpa