Investigators examine the Borussia Dortmund team bus, which was damaged in a bomb attack
(Maja Hitij/Getty Images)
Images of the back page of a German newspaper which featured the badge of the Borussia Dortmund football team above the phrase "you'll never walk alone" have been widely shared on social media.
Fans wishing show solidarity with the team after its players were targeted in a bomb attack have been posting the picture which was created using the team colours, yellow and black, on the page of Bild that would usually feature football news.
Originally associated with England's Liverpool FC, the song has been sung by Dortmund fans since the 1990s after it became popular when it was covered by a local band.
The team’s defender and Spanish international, Marc Bartra, underwent surgery night after breaking his arm and suffering shrapnel wounds in the explosions.
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Borussia Dortmund bus blasts injure player Marc Bartra
A policeman escorting the team was also hurt.
Three explosions went off near the team bus ahead of a Champions League quarterfinal match against Monaco, which Dortmund’s chief of police said “targeted” the players.
The match was cancelled and the Signal Iduna Park stadium was later evacuated.
Two letters relating to the attack have been examined by police. One found near the scene, said the blasts were in response to Germany’s military involvement against Isis in Syria.
However, experts have said the attack didn’t fit the normal patterns of an Islamist terror attack and the letter could be an attempt to mislead investigators.
A second letter claiming responsibility, posted to an anti-fascism online portal, reportedly said the attack was in retaliation for what the letter called the soccer club's soft approach toward neo-Nazi and racist fans.
Borussia Dortmund bus explosion
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Some suspicion also fell on far right extremists following the blasts.
The club has recently experienced significant difficulties with a right wing hooligan element and official clamp downs resulted in death threats being sent to a manager.
The match has been rescheduled for tonight but with an increased security presence.
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