Sweden head coach Janne Andersson revealed he and his players asked for Monday’s European Championship qualifying match against Belgium to be abandoned after finding out about the terrorist incident in Brussels at half time.
Two football supporters wearing Sweden shirts were shot dead by a terrorist who claims he carried out the attack in the name of ISIS in response to a US-Palestinian child being killed.
The shooter remains at large after allegedly committing the atrocity that occurred three miles away from the stadium, where over 35,000 fans attended to watch the Euro 2024 qualifier.
A post from the Belgian national team read on X: ‘Due to the incidents in Brussels earlier tonight, play is suspended. Our thoughts are with all those affected.’
Players inside the King Baudouin Stadium were consulted about the terror attack at half time with the score level at 1-1, and the Sweden manager explained there was a general consensus not to continue playing ‘out of respect for the victims and their families.’
Sweden head coach Janne Andersson explained he felt it was the correct decision to abandon Monday’s match against Belgium after two supporters were killed in a suspected terror attack
Man United and Sweden defender Victor Lindelof (left) revealed security put players at ease
Players from both teams had to wait to be given permission to leave the stadium on Monday
Fans embraced each other during the terrifying moments as Belgian authorities locked them inside the stadium for their own safety
Speaking at a press conference, Andersson explained: ‘When I came down for the break, I got this information. Immediately, I felt that it was completely unreal. What kind of world do we live in today?’ he said.
‘I came into the locker room and when the team started talking, we agreed 100 per cent that we didn’t want to play on out of respect for the victims and their families.’
Supporters have been kept inside the stadium while the search intensifies for the alleged gunman who used the name ‘Slayem Slouma’ to boast about the killings in a video on Facebook.
Police confirmed that the man in the video – wearing an orange jacket, black scarf, yellow baseball hat and heavy black beard – was the one they were searching for in relation to the attack.
Police in the city of Brussels are continuing to search for the shooter who killed two people
Supporters from both teams were kept inside the King Baudouin Stadium for their safety
Police at the site of a shooting incident in the Boulevard d’Ypres in Brussels
Supporters inside the ground comforted each other while they nervously awaited news on further developments with Brussels raising their terror alert to its highest level in response – level 4.
Sweden captain and Manchester United centre-back Victor Lindelof further explained that the players were put at ease by security who told the squad the stadium was the ‘safest place to be’.
‘Our security team handled it well and put us at ease. They explained that this is the safest place to be in Brussels,’ he said.
‘Belgium are already qualified and we don’t have the opportunity to get to the European Championship, so I see no reason to play,’ Lindelof added.
