Less than 24 hours after three explosions severely damaged the Borussia Dortmund team bus and hospitalized defender Marc Bartra, Dortmund hosted AS Monaco in the Champions League at the behest of UEFA.
Initially, the uplifting narrative of being unbowed by terrorism and the subtleties of sporting integrity (When would the match be rescheduled during the busiest period of the year? How would this impact the teams involved in this match versus the other quarterfinalists?) made the decision to move forward with the match seem acceptable.
After the match, some revealing interviews with Dortmund players showcased a human element that had been completely ignored. Dortmund lost the match 3-2, but it wasn’t as if they were searching for excuses, their players simply spoke with the frankness that accompanies a change in perspective after a traumatic event.
Nuri Sahin (@nurisahin): – It's hard to find the right words.@JanAageFjortoft pic.twitter.com/KTMPF3PTNI
— Viasat Fotball (@ViasatFotball) April 12, 2017
UEFA claims that they were in touch with both teams on Tuesday and Wednesday and that neither side presented any information which suggested that the game should be called off. Dortmund manager Thomas Tuchel doesn't agree with this summary of events.
“We were informed by text message that UEFA was making this decision,” Tuchel said. “A decision made in Switzerland that concerns us directly. We will not forget it. It is a very bad feeling.
“A few minutes after this attack, the only question that was asked was, ‘Are you ready to play?’. As if we had had a beer can thrown at our coach. At that time, we did not know the reasons for this attack. There is a feeling of helplessness.
“The date was imposed on us. What we think has not interested anyone. We weren’t asked about playing the game. We were attacked as men and we tried to solve the problem on the ground. Everyone has their own way of reacting to events. The players had the choice not to play, but no-one chose this option.”
Dortmund defender Sokratis was scathing in his response to the decision, saying, “[UEFA] have to understand that we are not animals. We are people who have families, who have kids in the house. And we are not animals. I am happy that all the players are alive, and all the staff are alive.”
Former Dortmund manager Jurgen Klopp also weighed in on the issue by saying, “I’m pretty sure the people who made the decision afterwards, if they had been in the bus they would not have played the game.”
Weigl: It was very hard for us. We hardly slept, all of us tried to spend time with their families. We did the best we could.
— Lars Pollmann (@LarsPollmann) April 12, 2017
The return leg in Monaco will take place on Wednesday, April 19 at the Stade Louis II.
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