SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazilian soccer club Bahia said at least three of its players were injured by a homemade explosive that detonated inside the team's bus Thursday on the way to a match.
Bahia said on Twitter that goalkeeper Danilo Fernandes is in a hospital due to shattered glass in his face. The club also confirmed left-back Matheus Bahia and forward Marcelo Cirino are hurt.
Bahia posted pictures of bus seats covered in blood and another showing a large hole in one of the windows.
The team was set to play play Sampaio Correia in a match later Thursday for the Copa do Nordeste, a regional championship in Brazil's northeast.
Police are investigating the incident, which took place in Bahia’s hometown of Salvador. Local media reports say Bahia fans are among the suspects, in what seemed to be an attempt to intimidate players to deliver better results. No suspects have been arrested in connection with the case.
Bahia was relegated to Brazil’s second division last year and has won only one of its last six matches.
A car that was next to the team’s bus also had one of its windows destroyed by the explosion.
Bahia coach Guto Ferreira told media the team decided to play the match “because of its dignity and its professionalism.”
“This is stupid, people believe such moves will intimidate an athlete, making him perform,” Ferreira said. “It always the coach that is bad, the player is bad. That's not how you solve problems.”
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