Friendly tie abandoned
Heavy armed police patrol downtown Hanover after the match was called off by police due to a security threat
Last night’s friendly game between hosts Germany and Netherlands in Hanover was called off less than two hours before kick-off.
The match was due to begin at 7.45pm but a security alert saw the police step in at around 6.0pm to prevent it going ahead. Dutch newspaper Telegraaf said a suspicious package was found that was later shown to be harmless.
Former Holland player Ruud Gullit wrote on Twitter: “I am now on the stadium of #hannover for the game #germany-#holland. They just suspended the game and are going to inform us why.”
The German football federation (DFB) announced in a short Twitter statement: “The team are in a safe place. The match will not go ahead.”