2015 Paris attacks: Two dull bangs I'll never forget

Ten years ago our writer experienced a terrorist attack in Paris at the Stade de France. He remembers one night when nothing seemed certain anymore.

November 12, 2025, 19:59

Article summary

The night in Paris on November 13, 2015 will never be forgotten: two suicide bombers triggered an Islamic terrorist attack. A look back at the night of the international match between France and Germany at the Stade de France shows how fragile normalcy is. The players are unaware of the attack, while the situation outside becomes increasingly threatening. The fear of terror was palpable, even for the German national team and journalists at the location. The events in Paris may not have changed football forever, but the memories of that night have stayed with us.

This summary was created using artificial intelligence. Sometimes errors may occur.

Did you find the summary useful?

I will never forget those two ponies. The sound was muffled and tinny and continued to echo for some time around the Stade de France to the north Paris. But the voices became harder for me to bear much later, when I understood who had caused them: two suicide bombers. That was the beginning of the Islamic terrorist attacks in Paris on November 13, 2015. So I heard people blowing themselves up.

Ten years ago I was sitting in the press box of the biggest stadium France. As a reporter, I was supposed to cover an international match against world champions Germany. Two of the best teams in Europe, a beautiful city, an impressive arena – there is no business trip I can look forward to less. The night before the game, I walked under the Eiffel Tower, ate boeuf bourguignon, and went to my Airbnb on Rue Bichat in the 10th arrondissement. Little did I know that I would see this street on TV the next night.