Manchester United midfielder Juan Mata has admitted that he and his teammates were "absolutely shocked" when Old Trafford had to be evacuated due to a bomb scare yesterday.
The Red Devils' match against Bournemouth on the final day of the Premier League on Sunday was abandoned after a mobile phone with wires attached to a gas pipe was found in the men's toilets located in the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand.
The bomb squad was called in to perform a controlled explosion, but it was later confirmed by police that the device found was used in a recent training exercise and accidentally left behind.
The match has been rescheduled for Tuesday night, and all fans have been offered a refund.
This morning, Mata wrote on his blog: "What happened in Old Trafford this Sunday left all of us who were there absolutely shocked. You know, the game being postponed (we will finally play on Tuesday) after a suspect package -that we were told could be an explosive- was found in the stadium.
"Everybody in the security team did an effective job, resulting in a quick evacuation of the stadium. It helped not to spread panic around, although all of us had a very odd feeling; something like strain mixed with a lack of understanding. The fans left the stadium before we did; I think we left Old Trafford at around five, with the feeling that everything was already under control.
"I feel sorry for all those people who had to go back home without watching the game, because that's what they had come for. Obviously, safety is always the top priority. But what I'm really sorry about is that this kind of issues affect football, sports and society in general. Many of us think that sport has the capability to unite people, and we must keep believing that."
United will only qualify for next season's Champions League if they beat Bournemouth by an improbable 19 goals.
Danielle Joynson
