Borussia Dortmund coach Tuchel slams UEFA for fixture scheduling after bus explosion

BORUSSIA DORTMUND coach Thomas Tuchel has slammed football authorities for making them play their Champions League quarter-final against Monaco just 24 hours after their team bus was hit by explosions.

Posted Thursday, April 13, 2017 by Express.co.uk

Borussia Dortmund coach Tuchel slams UEFA for fixture scheduling after bus explosion
Thomas Tuchel slammed the football authorities

Dortmund lost 3-2 to Monaco tonight after the original match was postponed following the explosions which saw Marc Bartra hospitalised.

The team bus was hit with explosions as it drove towards the stadium leading to the match being called off just 15 minutes before the scheduled kick off.

But Tuchel claims Dortmund were not spoken to regarding the rescheduling.

UEFA said it made the decision after consulting both teams, however Tuchel said he and his players were not asked.

"We weren't asked at any point. We were told by text message that the decision had been made in Switzerland," he said.

"When they told us 'you're up tomorrow', we felt completely ignored.

"We would have liked more time to take stock. This gives you the feeling of impotence, that we have to keep functioning and nothing else matters.

"I encouraged everyone to take the game seriously but football is not the most important thing in the world."

Tuchel reiterated his disappointement with UEFA and said he asked the players if they were ready to play - despite being told the were by the officials in Switzerland.

"We were informed by text message that UEFA was making this decision," he added.

"A decision made in Switzerland that concerns us directly. We will not forget it, it is a very bad feeling.

Borussia Dortmund coach Tuchel slams UEFA for fixture scheduling after bus explosion
Dortmund played showed their appreciation to the fans after the match

"A few minutes after this attack, the only question that was asked was, 'Are you ready to play?'. As if we had thrown a beer on our coach.

"At that time, we did not know the reasons for this attack. There is a feeling of helplessness. The date was imposed on us. What we think has not interested anyone. We weren't asked about playing the game.

"I just wanted more time, a few more days. In a few days, we will not have digested completely but time helps us to find a solution.

"It is important to have a chance to realise this dream and our team was not at the top in concentration to make a difference at this level.

"UEFA is eager to continue playing. Of course we have to keep it going, but we still want to be competitive. We do not want to use the situation as an excuse.

"We wished we would have had more time to deal with what happened, but someone in Switzerland decided we must play.

"Every player has the right to deal with it in his way. The team did not feel in the mood, in which you must be for such a game.

"We let the players choose if they wanted to play. But this morning, we found that the training had done good, that it had made us think of something else.

"We were attacked as men and we tried to solve the problem on the ground.

"Everyone has their own way of reacting to events. The players had the choice not to play but no one chose this option."