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Hannover stadium hosting Germany-Netherlands game is being evacuated

<p>A friendly, international soccer match between Germany and the Netherlands was canceled <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/17/europe/germany-netherlands-soccer-canceled/index.html?sr=fbCNN111715germany-netherlands-soccer-canceled0758PMVODtopLink&linkId=18826056" target="_blank">due to bomb threats</a> 90 minutes before it was slated to begin. A suspicious package was found inside the stadium in Hannover, Germany.</p><p>German Chancellor Angela Merkel <a href="http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/germany-terror-alert-ambulance-packed-6849876?ICID=FB_mirror_main" target="_blank">planned to attend</a> the match along with several of her top cabinet members. She was diverted before making it to the stadium, according to Mirror.</p><p>Europe is on heightened alert following the terror attacks in Paris on Friday; the bomb scare comes as Europeans try to get their lives back to normal.</p><p>The German team was on the pitch just <a href="http://www.espnfc.us/international-friendly/story/2712112/attacks-kill-several-people-outside-stade-de-france-in-paris" target="_blank">four days earlier</a> against France when several suicide bombers detonated explosives outside the Stade de France.</p><p>On Monday, the Belgian squad cited concerns about security when they <a href="http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/34839734" target="_blank">canceled their match</a> against Spain.</p><p>Despite security concerns in other countries, many other international teams took the pitch including France taking on their rival England, even though the British offered to cancel.</p><p>"They came out and said, 'Well, look guys, we assume this game's going to be canceled.' But it was the French FA, their president Noel Le Graet, who came out and said, 'No, we want to play,'" <a href="http://www.espnfc.us/international-friendly/story/2715426/germany-vs-netherlands-match-called-off-before-kickoff" target="_blank">Gab Marcotti said.</a></p><p>British fans showed their support for Paris, waving French flags and joining in the singing of their national anthem.</p><p>Getting back to playing could provide a welcome return to normalcy for some of the French players. Midfielder Lassana Diarra’s cousin was one of the 89 people killed in the attack on the Bataclan concert hall, and forward Antoine Griezmann's sister escaped the attacks.</p><p><i>This video includes images from Getty Images.</i></p>
<p>A friendly, international soccer match between Germany and the Netherlands was canceled <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/17/europe/germany-netherlands-soccer-canceled/index.html?sr=fbCNN111715germany-netherlands-soccer-canceled0758PMVODtopLink&linkId=18826056" target="_blank">due to bomb threats</a> 90 minutes before it was slated to begin. A suspicious package was found inside the stadium in Hannover, Germany.</p><p>German Chancellor Angela Merkel <a href="http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/germany-terror-alert-ambulance-packed-6849876?ICID=FB_mirror_main" target="_blank">planned to attend</a> the match along with several of her top cabinet members. She was diverted before making it to the stadium, according to Mirror.</p><p>Europe is on heightened alert following the terror attacks in Paris on Friday; the bomb scare comes as Europeans try to get their lives back to normal.</p><p>The German team was on the pitch just <a href="http://www.espnfc.us/international-friendly/story/2712112/attacks-kill-several-people-outside-stade-de-france-in-paris" target="_blank">four days earlier</a> against France when several suicide bombers detonated explosives outside the Stade de France.</p><p>On Monday, the Belgian squad cited concerns about security when they <a href="http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/34839734" target="_blank">canceled their match</a> against Spain.</p><p>Despite security concerns in other countries, many other international teams took the pitch including France taking on their rival England, even though the British offered to cancel.</p><p>"They came out and said, 'Well, look guys, we assume this game's going to be canceled.' But it was the French FA, their president Noel Le Graet, who came out and said, 'No, we want to play,'" <a href="http://www.espnfc.us/international-friendly/story/2715426/germany-vs-netherlands-match-called-off-before-kickoff" target="_blank">Gab Marcotti said.</a></p><p>British fans showed their support for Paris, waving French flags and joining in the singing of their national anthem.</p><p>Getting back to playing could provide a welcome return to normalcy for some of the French players. Midfielder Lassana Diarra’s cousin was one of the 89 people killed in the attack on the Bataclan concert hall, and forward Antoine Griezmann's sister escaped the attacks.</p><p><i>This video includes images from Getty Images.</i></p>
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HANNOVER, Germany (AP) — A stadium in Hannover, Germany is being evacuated prior to a soccer match between Germany and Netherlands.

The Belleville News-Democrat reports that reporters and fans were barred from entering the stadium after a suspicious suitcase was found at the stadium.According to a stadium announcement, the match has been canceled.

Though officials denied finding any bombs near the stadium, the Hannover chief of police said the match was canceled due to a "concrete security threat" and that "there were plans for some kind of explosion." 

Many top German officials, including Chancellor Angela Merkel, were scheduled to attend the match.

The threat comes just four days after suicide bombers exploded bombs outside of Stade de France in the Paris terror attacks. The German national team was playing France at the time of those attacks.

A second stadium in Hannover, which was scheduled to host a concert by the band Soehne Mannheims, was also evacuated on Monday.

 

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