Sweden captain and Manchester United defender Victor Lindelof said he is “shocked and devastated” by the killing of two Swedish fans in Brussels on Monday ahead of their European Championship qualifier against Belgium.
The match was suspended and then abandoned at half time after the Sweden team were informed that a gunman had killed two Swedish nationals five kilometres from the King Baudouin Stadium. Lindelof and his teammates then decided they could not continue with the game, following further talks with Uefa.
The Sweden squad went straight to the airport and flew home overnight after they were allowed to leave the stadium. It was not until around 4am local time when the last of the Sweden fans left under police protection, with a group of around 650 said to have been at the match.
The players have since returned to their clubs and, in a post on Instagram, Lindelof said: “I’m shocked and devastated by the terrible incidents in Brussels with the cold-hearted attacks on our fellow Swedes.
“I’m lost for words for the cruelty and inhumanity, I want to send my deepest condolences to the families and friends of those affected.
“At the same time, my thoughts go out to all the supporters in Belgium last night, no one should ever go to a game of football and feel unsafe when supporting their team.”
It has been reported that news of the two killings reached the Sweden fans as they were entering the ground shortly before kick-off. Susanne Petersson, chairperson of supporters’ group Camp Sweden, told Reuters that fans were held in hotels overnight before making their way home on Tuesday.
It has been reported that the two Swedish nationals who were killed were wearing Sweden football shirts. Belgian authorities said the suspected gunman was killed by police on Monday night.
"We were uneasy and confused, it was difficult to understand what had happened,” Petersson told Reuters. “If it was aimed at Swedish people or if it was just Swedes that had ended up in something.
Victor Lindelof— (Getty Images)
"We had contact with the police before we gathered (in Brussels), and we didn’t feel particularly unsafe at that point, but then questions started to come on social media and we understood that something had happened.
"I was one of the last to leave as they had to organise it with police and buses so that it would be safe for us to leave.
"They provided buses and had routes that delivered everyone to their respective hotels, and the police went in with them to each hotel.”
Uefa has confirmed there will be a moment of silence in memory of the two victims of the attack in Brussels at all Euro 2024 qualifying matches tonight, including England’s match against Italy at Wembley.
