Germany Holland match cancelled; no explosives found

Football Soccer - International Friendly - Germany vs NetherlandsTuesday night’s football friendly between Germany and the Netherlands was cancelled shortly before kick-off because of ‘direct indications that someone wanted to set off an explosion in the stadium’, Dutch media quoted German police as saying.

Hannover police chief Volker Kluwe told public broadcaster NDR there was ‘concrete danger for all Hannover’ and the ‘indications’ had to be taken seriously.

At a news conference later in the evening, Germany’s home affairs minister Thomas de Maizière told reporters that no explosives had been found in the stadium or surrounding area. However, there had been an increasing amount of evidence that Hannover would be subject to an attack, he said.

‘We had no choice but to cancel the match,’ he said.

Security had been tight around the stadium heading up to the match, news agency ANP said. All supporters’ bags had been searched and police sniffer dogs were also on patrol.

The match had been due to start at 20.45. Around 200 Oranje fans were in Hannover for the game, broadcaster Nos said. The buses they were travelling in were stopped by police as they neared the grounds.

Dutch sports minister Edith Schippers and defence minister Jeanine Hennis had also been due to attend the game. They were driven straight back to the airport, Nos said.

The friendly between Belgium and Spain scheduled for Monday was cancelled earlier following the terrorist attacks in Paris.

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