Police cancel friendly after object found

No explosives have been found so far and no arrests made after the Tuesday’s Germany-Netherlands football match was cancelled, a German regional minister said. The police later denied the discovery of explosives, but the game was cancelled.

The victims of the Paris attacks – which claimed at least 129 lives with more than 350 injured – were set to be honoured by candlelight in what has been described as “a friendly in the true sense of the word”. There were reports later that the city’s main train station was partially out of service.

“If IS can hit us, if IS can carry out terror attacks in Germany, it will do so – that is our big concern”, Maassen said in an interview with broadcaster ARD.

Rauball, who also acts as the German league president, said the Bundesliga fixtures this weekend would go ahead as planned but there were security issues to be resolved. “There were serious plans to bring about an explosion”.

The German national team’s players were put under police protection.

An announcement by police informed spectators about an hour and a half before kickoff on Tuesday that the stadium would be evacuated.

Police vans with loudspeakers ordered fans to leave the stadium as heavily armed officers positioned themselves outside the arena.

Two French players had more personal connections to the Paris attacks: Lassana Diarra’s cousin was killed and Antoine Griezmann’s sister escaped from the Bataclan concert hall where 89 died.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has apologised to supporters for the postponement of the fixture between Germany and Holland, but praised them for their conduct at the Niedersachsenstadion in Hannover.

Its spokesman Jens Grittner wrote on Twitter: “We were on our way into the stadium and were diverted by the police to a safe place. We wanted to play, but if the authorities can not guarantee security we have no other choice”.

Hanover mayor, Stefan Schostok, told German newspaper Bild: “Safety is paramount”. It is a fear you always have.

“I am asking for an advance of trust from the German people”.

“The KNVB is alarmed by the situation in Hannover and regrets that a good game could not take place”, read a statement on the association’s official website.

Earlier on Tuesday, Robert-Enke Strasse outside the stadium was closed but later re-opened after police confirmed a “suspicious object turned out to be harmless” ” allowing fans to approach the venue. It came four days after suicide bombers struck near a soccer game between France and Germany during Friday’s Paris attacks.