German national team returns home after night spent at Stade de France
The German national team landed in Frankfurt on Saturday morning after deciding to spend Friday night at Stade de France in light of the deadly attacks across Paris.
With a state of emergency called and an overwhelming sense of concern in the dressing room, the players refrained from leaving the stadium. Hours later, still in the bowels of the football ground, the team concluded it was too risky to venture to their hotel, so they remained where they were.
Related: Bombings kill several outside Stade de France amid multiple attacks in Paris
The German FA (DFB) then canceled all activities Sunday, while the friendly scheduled for Tuesday against the Netherlands is also in doubt.
"There was a lot of uncertainty in the changing room, dread and an overall strange atmosphere. You could tell how shocked the players were," general manager Oliver Bierhoff told the DFB's official website.
The DFB had earlier dealt with a bomb scare of its own, switching accommodations as police investigated all the rooms for evidence.
None of the players knew about the shootings just south of them until the match ended. But manager Joachim Loew suspected something when he heard explosions in the first half.
"I obviously thought about the bomb threat when I heard the bang. Every one of us on the bench thought about it, as we had all been left shocked earlier in the day already," said Loew. "When I heard it, I could picture what had just happened."
Related: Football world shows support for Paris in wake of attacks
The atmosphere inside the stadium didn't ease. Staff brought in mattresses, but several players stayed up "to discuss what was going on," according to a press release.
They texted family and loved ones, but managed to "behave like real professionals," Bierhoff added.
The friendly in Hannover against the Dutch, however, could be scrapped.
"We want to think about it for a day and then decide what to do,” DFB vice-president Dr. Reinhard Rauball said in a statement. "However, I believe that we shouldn’t let terror get the better of us."