Bartra discusses “hardest 15 minutes of my life”

Ian Watson

Borussia Dortmund defender Marc Bartra described the bomb attack on the team coach in which he was injured as the “hardest 15 minutes” of his life.

The 26-year-old is still in hospital recovering from an operation on a broken wrist sustained in the explosion, which is set to sideline him for four weeks.

Bartra was the only player to receive serious injuries in the blast, which happened on Tuesday night as the team travelled to their Westfalenstadion for the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final against Monaco.

And he has taken to Instagram to describe the experience after a visit from his family.

“They are my everything, the reason I struggle to overcome obstacles and this has been the worst of my life, an experience I would not want anyone in this world (to have),” he wrote.

“The pain, the panic and the uncertainty of not knowing what was going on, or how long it would last … were the longest and hardest 15 minutes of my life.

“I think that the shock is decreasing more and more and, at the same time, it adds to the desire to live, to fight, to work, to laugh, to cry, to feel, to love, to believe, to play, to train, to continue to enjoy my people, loved ones, companions, my passion, to defend, to smell the grass as I do before the game starts and motivate me.

“The only thing I ask is for everyone to live in peace and to leave behind the wars.

“These days when I look at my wrist, swollen and badly wounded, you know what I feel? Pride.

“I look at it proudly, thinking that all the damage they wanted to do to us on Tuesday stayed in this (injury).

Hoy he vuelto a recibir en el hospital la visita que más feliz me hace. Ellas son mi todo, la razón por la que lucho para superar siempre los obstáculos y este ha sido el peor de mi vida, una experiencia que no desearía a nadie en este mundo. El dolor, el pánico y la incerteza de no saber lo que estaba pasando, ni cuánto tiempo duraría… fueron los 15 minutos más largos y duros de mi vida. A todo esto os quiero decir, que creo que el shock de estos días va disminuyendo cada vez más y a la vez se suman las ganas de vivir, de luchar, de trabajar, de reír, de llorar, de sentir, de querer, de creer, de jugar, de entrenar, de seguir disfrutando de mi gente, seres queridos, compañeros, de mi pasión, de defender, de oler el césped como hago antes de que empiece el partido y motivarme. De ver las gradas llenas de personas que aman nuestra profesión, gente buena que sólo quiere que le hagamos sentir emociones para olvidarse del mundo y sobre todo de este mundo en el que vivimos, cada vez más loco. Lo único que pido, LO ÚNICO, es que vivamos TODOS en paz y dejemos atrás las guerras. Estos días cuando me miro la muñeca, hinchada y malherida, sabéis qué siento? Orgullo. La miro orgulloso pensando en que todo el daño que querían hacernos el martes, se quedó en esto. Gracias a los doctores, enfermeras, fisioterapeutas y personas que me ayudan a recuperar y que la muñeca quede perfecta. A las miles y miles de personas, medios, organizaciones de todo tipo, el BVB y compañeros, que me habéis hecho llegar vuestro apoyo y cariño. Por pequeño que sea, me ha llenado increíblemente de fuerzas para seguir SIEMPRE adelante. Necesitaba escribir y desahogarme y así zanjar todo para ya solo pensar en ponerme al 100% lo más pronto posible! Un saludo muy grande! Marc ?

A post shared by Marc Bartra (@marcbartra) on

“Thanks to the doctors, nurses, physiotherapists and people who helped me recover.

“To the thousands and thousands of people, media, organisations of all kinds, the club and colleagues, who have given me your support and affection – as small as it may be – has filled me with incredible strength to continue on and on.

“I needed to write and unburden myself and to settle everything so I can just think about getting 100 per cent as soon as possible.”