Wilco van Schaik, general director of NEC Nijmegen, previously stated that Norway lacks a Champions League atmosphere. These comments caught the attention of NEC's opponent, Bodø/Glimt, whose spokesman responded, denying the situation van Schaik described.

"I just visited the changing room, and the conditions here are quite basic. We requested a bath and ice, but they apparently just bought a bathtub from a hardware store and threw ice in it. This is really unbelievable." These striking comments were subsequently widely reported by the media.

Norwegian media outlet "Nettavisen" contacted Bodø/Glimt's spokesman, who stated he could not agree with NEC's general director's claims: "Over the past few weeks, we have been in close contact with NEC, but we have never received any feedback about facilities not meeting their requirements. Man City and Inter Milan used the same bathtub when they played here, and neither raised any objections at the time. This is the first time we're hearing about any facility issues. We believe we provided what was requested. Some teams have even filled trash bins with ice to use, so there are worse alternatives."

NEC need to fight back on Tuesday night, overturning a previous 1-3 defeat to keep their hopes alive of reaching the Champions League group stage. If the Eredivisie side cannot complete the comeback, the Europa League group stage will be their backup option.

Van Schaik subsequently responded. NEC management believes his words were misunderstood.

"We just had lunch with Bodø/Glimt's management and board. In my remarks, I also made it clear that we truly understand their approach. We have to have our visiting players prepare in the hallway, where staff and coaches also pass through, which is also not ideal. We are clubs in similar situations."

"Therefore, we found it interesting to see them solve the problem by placing a bathtub in the changing room. Nobody was upset or disappointed about this; everyone just found that arrangement amusing. We operate in the same way. So it was a matter of empathy rather than us being dissatisfied or thinking it didn't meet our requirements. We were just joking about it beforehand. The people at Bodø/Glimt are very friendly and straightforward, and that's how they describe us too. As small clubs in European football, we have much in common, including the limitations each of us must face, but we still hope to achieve victories and create surprises despite these constraints."

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