German World Cup winner Lothar Matthaus has branded UEFA's decision to stage the Borussia Dortmund-Monaco Champions League match 24 hours after a bomb attack on the Dortmund team bus as "incomprehensible".
Dortmund lost the rearranged first leg of their quarter-final 3-2 at home to Monaco, taking to the field just a day after the original match was postponed when three explosions went off near their coach as it travelled to Signal Iduna Park, leaving defender Marc Bartra needing surgery on an arm injury.
Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel revealed UEFA's decision to play the game so soon after the attack left "very bad feeling", with the governing body responding by saying both clubs agreed for the match to take place on Wednesday night and it did not receive " any information which suggested that any of the teams did not want to play".
Yet Matthaus, who captained West Germany to victory in the 1990 World Cup, joined Tuchel in fiercely criticising the decision.
" As I've heard from team circles, many players did not want to play," he said in an interview with Sky, according to Sport Bild.
"But UEFA exerts pressure and the politicians ask Borussia Dortmund to defy the terrorists.
"For me i t is irresponsible that the players have to take to the pitch today. It is an incomprehensible decision from UEFA, which put Dortmund under pressure."
Source: PA
