Bielefeld, Germany (dpa) – Arminia Bielefeld said they were beefing
up security around their German cup match Monday night against Hertha
Berlin in the wake of the visitors’ team bus being shot at the
previous day.
Bielefeld said that additional personnel will protect the bus and the
Berlin team’s area in the stadium. In addition, the bus will get a
police escort to the stadium, the authorities said.
The Hertha bus was overtaken by a motorcyclist who threatened the
driver and then shot at the bus at a roundabout on Sunday, according
to Hertha general manager Michael Preetz.
The shot did not penetrate the windscreen and no one was injured. The
bus was on its way to Bielefeld station to pick up the team which
arrived by train for the game. Police is investigating dangerous
behaviour in road traffic.
“It is very fortunate that the colleague from Berlin (the driver) was
not hurt,” second division Bielefeld said.
Hertha general manager Michael Preetz said: “It is outrageous that
something like this can happen in Germany. Of course the players saw
the bullet hole in the windscreen. Police were on site.”
But Preetz was confident that the incident will not affect the
players during the match.
The incident came four months after the team bus of Turkish club
Fenerbahce was shot at after an away game. The driver was injured
while none of the players on board were hurt.
But three people died and eight were injured when the Togo team bus
was attacked by gunmen on its way to the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations
in Angola.
