The international friendly between Germany and the Netherlands in Hanover has been canceled over security concerns, German police have confirmed. A suspicious object had been found before the game.
Less than two hours before kick-off in the international match between Germany and the Netherlands in Hanover, the fixture was been canceled by German police due to a serious threat of an attack on the stadium.
Volker Klume, Hanover’s chief of police, confirmed on German TV that a device “intended to be set-off inside the stadium” was found before the evacuation was confirmed.
Earlier in the evening a “suspicious object” had been discovered by police forces around the stadium. Road blocks were set-up and no fans were allowed to enter the area surrounding the HDI-Arena. However, police did eventually open the roads, allowing journalists and fans to enter the stadium.
“We received a tip-off that after the first object was found, another attack had been planned. We had to take this seriously,” Klume added.
The German national team was en-route to the stadium at the time of the evacuating, but Jens Grittner, the German FA press officer, has since confirmed that the team has been taken to a safe “unconfirmed” location.
DW’s Sarah Wiertz, in Hanover, has confirmed that there was no panic shown by fans who left the stadium. Almost all pedestrians have evacuated the area, but journalists currently remain in a safe area around the stadium.
An official announcement from the police forces stated for fans to not “stand still” and to “move away from the stadium.”
Trains and public transport moving away from the stadium has also been stopped, with pedestrians being told to move away on foot.
The 14,000 capacity TUI-Arena, which was hosting German pop band Sähne Mannheims, had also been evacuated, according to various reports, however police have confirmed the concert will go ahead.
