The party turned into unrest, but there was immediately solidarity: that is the atmosphere in the stadium at the moment

The two national anthems were enthusiastically sent along. The news of the attack only trickled into the stadium after the start of the Belgium-Sweden match. “I didn’t see a single Swede clap their hands. They probably knew it before us.” Belgian fans turned on their mobile phone lights to support the Swedish supporters.

When we call supporter Tom at halftime, he doesn’t know what we are talking about. The focus was on the match. The mobile phone had been in the pocket for a while. Also with the people around him? “What? Two hours ago? And have the perpetrators been caught? Is there danger here?”

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He immediately decides not to stay for the second half, even before the decision to stop the match. “But now I have to get home. How? Because I’m not allowed on the subway. And the cop are here en masse and look incredibly stressed.” Tom was eventually able to take a taxi to his car which was parked a few kilometers from the King Baudouin Stadium.

Alex Deronne in the stadium. — © if

Alex Deronne from Machelen near Zulte read the news on his mobile phone a few minutes after the first whistle. “It was still a party before that. And we did the Mexican Wave together with the Swedes. But suddenly the messages started coming in and the news went through the stands very quickly. Fifteen minutes before half time there was suddenly a lot of police present. People looked at their mobile phones more than at the football.” He also received concerned messages from home. “My wife sent that weapons were found near the stadium. Is that true?” We tried to reassure Alex that it was all just rumours.” Deronne noticed that the Swedes were hardly celebrating in the stands. “I didn’t see anyone clapping or shouting. I think the news got through there faster than it did to us.”

Thibaut Renson. — © if

Our colleague and reporter Thibaut Renson was also in the stadium as a supporter. “I only read it on my mobile phone during halftime, like most people. It is fairly quiet in the stadium, I don’t feel panic. We have to stay in place.” Renson saw the police helicopter flying above the stadium. “When the news of the cancellation was announced, there was serene applause from Swedish supporters. And the word ‘Peace – Peace’ appeared on the scoreboard.”

Supporters turned on their mobile phone lights en masse in solidarity with Sweden

Around a quarter past ten the stadium announcer intervened again. “We were told that the stadium was the safest place and that security services were dealing with the situation. The gates were closed, the food and drink stands were closed.” The solidarity was there immediately. “The Belgian supporters turned on the lights of their mobile phones. The Swedes thanked with applause.” And never has the Devils’ slogan sounded so symbolic. “Tous Ensemble. Everyone sang it together.”

Cesar Van Fraechem and papa Benny.

It had to be a special evening for Cesar Van Fraechem (9). He was at a Red Devils match for the first time, together with dad Benny and his friend Fons. “It was already strange when we arrived here. More traffic jams than normal, but I didn’t wonder about that. After a while in the match I looked at my mobile phone because a lot of messages were coming in. Cesar accidentally saw one of those messages so I had to tell him what was going on. He was immediately frightened and panicked, yes.” But Benny didn’t feel that in the stadium. “We don’t feel unsafe here, everyone remains calm. But we have to stay where we are. I suppose we will be allowed to leave block by block later.”

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