Paris Terrorist Attacks: German National Soccer Side Were Evacuated From Paris Hotel After Bomb Scare, Just Hours Before Stade De France Explosion

The German national soccer team suffered a bomb scare at their Paris hotel just hours before a mass shooting and terrorist attack left over 140 people dead in the French capital.

Germany’s national soccer players were in France to play their European rivals at the Stade de France on Friday evening. The deadly terrorist attacks took place as the game unfolded. But now further questions are being asked after it was confirmed that the German national side were forced to leave the exclusive Molitor in Paris’ 16th arrondissement earlier on Friday because of a bomb scare.

According to the French newspaper Le Parisien, via the Express, the German national team business manager Olivier Bierhoff confirmed that they had to be evacuated from the Molitor Hotel alongside the rest of the guests. It’s believed that around 250 people were also staying in the hotel. The alarm was originally raised after an anonymous phone call.

Bierhoff told a German newspaper, “There was a bomb threat. The hotel has been widely cordoned off and evacuated.”

It’s been reported that the German national team’s players, who helped to lead Germany to the World Cup in 2014, were in the hotel gym when police officers and a special dog unit entered into the hotel.

A spokeswoman for the Molitor Hotel explained, “We received an anonymous call about a bomb threat this morning. Management took all precautions to ensure the safety of its guests and staff and are cooperating with the authorities.”

The German national team had reserved the Molitor Hotel ahead of their match against Didier Deschamps’ team in Paris.

Following this tip-off, police officials and special force police dogs then searched the hotel. However, it hasn’t been revealed if any suspicious packages or explosives were found during this search.

It’s still not known or confirmed by police if there is any connection between the terrorist attacks in Paris city center on Friday evening and the bomb scare involving the German national team earlier that day.

However, during the France and Germany match, there were audible explosions near the stadium. It was later revealed, via the Daily Mail, that at least one suicide bomber had detonated explosives outside the ground, which led to the deaths of three people outside the Stade de France.

You can watch a clip of the game at the time of these explosions below.

Well, if anyone had any question if the fans in the Stade de France heard an explosion, well, here’s your answer – https://t.co/8dzHna5moS

— Andrew Jerell Jones (@sluggahjells) November 13, 2015

These explosions could be heard around the 15-minute mark of the game. French President Francois Hollande was at the match and he had to be evacuated.

As chaos ensued outside of the stadium, the match was allowed to continue. This decision was reached in order to keep the crowd, which was believed to be in the tens of thousands, safe.

Once the game, which saw France win by two goals to nil, was complete, the crowd was then allowed to go onto the field before they could exit the stadium. This was done to make sure that the area surrounding the Stade De France was secure.

Les gens ressortent du stade de France. pic.twitter.com/BPyiI5z9te

— Vincent Menichini (@v_menichini) November 13, 2015

News regarding the terrorist attacks in Paris is still at a premium, and details regarding the death total and the hostage situation at the Bataclan concert hall will be updated throughout the night.

French president Francois Hollande has since closed the borders in order to prevent the terrorists, who are yet to be captured, from escaping the country.

It’s also been reported that there were six separate terrorist attacks that began at 9:30 p.m. French time, which Hollande has described as “unprecedented.”

[Image via Getty/Thierry Chesnot]