Borussia Dortmund’s performance hurt by bomb attack, fans say

Fans said Borussia Dortmund didn’t play its best against AS Monaco.

They were understanding—after all the team had just survived a terrorist attack.

The Borussia team bus was the target of a triple pipe-bomb attack just before its match with AS Monaco on April 11.

One player, Marc Bartra, suffered a broken bone and lacerations. No one else was injured. The match was postponed until April 12.

The team took the field for the first half but wasn’t entirely there.

“In the first half Dortmund was not on top, maybe because they had their mind on something else,” noted fan Michael Löger.

Another fan, Dirk Schnittger, said, “They felt the absence of Marc Bartra in defense but in the beginning Dortmund made mistakes, conceded a goal and now it is what it is.”

The team seemed to regain its composure after halftime; the familiar rhythms of the game pushed aside fears over possible attacks during the match.

The squad fought back and scored two goals, but still lost 3–2.

“First they were struggling, it was hard work, but in the second half it got better, then it was ok,” commented another fan, Joerg Körber.

“They fought well in the second half, the first half was not so good but I think they still have yesterday in mind,” said Dortmund supporter Adil Kalac. “I also have a weird feeling today, it is not like normal but it was nice anyway.”

Their fans had to watch the match and also wonder if another attack might be coming—perhaps at the stadium. Security was tight, which fans found reassuring.

“I have a quite good feeling, I didn’t feel unsafe,” said Philipp Bauschke. “The police presence was higher as normal but not unpleasant. We got in ok, the controls were a bit tighter than usual, but I found that good, it belongs to it now. I felt ok.”

That is the new order of things: extremists strike, but they no longer generate terror. People are inured. As Borussia Dortmund and its fans showed, the order of the day is Play on!