Dortmund boss lashes out at Uefa over response to bus attack

Borussia Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel hit out at European football's governing body Uefa over their treatment of the club following Tuesday night's bomb attack on the Dortmund team bus. Tuchel said Uefa bigwigs had acted as if a beer can had been thrown at the vehicle. 

Kylian Mbappe Lottin bagged a brace in Monaco's victory over Borussia Dortmund. Reuters/Ralph Orlowsk

His outburst came after Dortmund's 3-2 defeat on Wednesday night to Monaco.

Tuchel said that his team was informed by text message that they would have to play the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final against the French league leaders less than 24 hours after the incident.

Spain international Marc Bartra suffered a broken wrist in the attack as the team bus made its way to the Signal Iduna Park from the team's hotel in central Dortmund. Police in the city said players and team officials were lucky to escape serious injury.

"They treated it as if a beer can had been thrown at the bus," said Tuchel after Dortmund's first loss at home in 13 games. "Ultimately, it was decided at Uefa headquarters in Nyon in Switzerland whether or not to play the next day. It was a somewhat powerless feeling. Each player had the right to start with a queasy feeling. We felt completely passed over. It came down to: 'Tomorrow, you're playing'."

There was huge support on social media for Dortmund from across the globe, including clubs such as the English Premier League leaders Chelsea.

Dortmund's chief executive, Hans-Joachim Watze, said the club wanted to make a defiant stand. "We wanted to show that terror and hate can never determine our actions."

The reconvened match took place in the late afternoon with 60,000 fans rocking the iconic stadium. Before the match, Dortmund diehards - joined by the travelling Monaco faithful - chanted: "Bartra! Bartra!" in support of the injured defender.

The visitors raced into a 2-0 lead as rising star Kylian Mbappe Lottin bundled in the opening goal and Sven Bender, filling in for Bartra, headed into his own net.

Ousman Dembele halved the deficit after 57 minutes to the home crowd's delight. But 18-year-old Lottin restored in-form Monaco's two goal advantage with his fourth goal in the competition this season.

A late strike from Shinji Kagawa brought the hosts within touching distance after 84 minutes. But despite a frantic finale, the Germans could not force an equaliser.

After the game, Dortmund midfielder Nuri Sahin praised his teammates. "We knew that it would not be easy to focus on football. Until kick-off, everything was all still in my head, but not football," said the 28-year-old Turkey international.

"It was only when I went home on Tuesday night and my wife and my son were standing at the door that I realised how lucky we were. I know that the football is very important, that it is about a lot ... but one shouldn't forget that we are human beings."

"We would have liked to have had more time to work through the attack," said Tuchel. "There are players who easily brushed it off, but there are also players who really took it to heart. They are more thoughtful."

Monaco coach Leonardo Jardim added: "What will stay in history is not the result but what happened on Tuesday night. On the pitch, both sides gave great performances," said the Portuguese. "It's very significant to come and win here. But we're only halfway there. There's still a match to play. We haven't won anything yet."