HANNOVER, Germany — The friendly soccer game between Germany and the Netherlands was canceled at short notice after a suspicious object was found at the stadium Tuesday.
Policeman Joerg Hoffmeister told The Associated Press that everyone inside had to be evacuated after the as-yet unidentified object was found.
Announcements at the stadium in northern Germany advised people to go home in a calm manner and that there was no danger to fear. Most fans still were waiting outside when the order to evacuate came about an hour and a half before kickoff.
There were no signs of panic, with most fans seemingly accepting the decision with resignation.
Members of the German government, including Chancellor Angela Merkel, were scheduled to attend the match to send a signal that the country wouldn’t bow to terrorism in the wake of the Paris attacks.
Security was very tight, with police armed with machine guns surrounding the stadium and maintaining a very obvious presence in the city. Reporters arriving for the game were searched, while a sniffer dog was deployed to check their bags.
No reason was immediately given for the cancellation, but there had been a bomb threat about an hour earlier outside the stadium. Streets leading to it had been sealed off before the all-clear was given.
Thumbnail photo via Twitter/@SportsCenter
