NEC director Wilco van Schaik's strong comments about the conditions at Bodø/Glimt have not gone unnoticed in Norway either. A spokesperson for the Norwegian club has responded to the criticism and says NEC did not raise any complaints beforehand.
Van Schaik was fiercely critical of the facilities in Bodø. NEC's managing director took particular issue with the ice bath provided, saying it was nowhere near what he would expect in a Champions League environment.
"I've just been in the dressing room, it's all bric-a-brac here," Van Schaik said. "We asked for a bath and ice. I think they just got a bath from some DIY store and put ice in it. That really is unheard of."
His remarks were widely picked up and soon reached Bodø/Glimt. Speaking to Norwegian outlet Nettavisen, a club spokesperson said they did not recognise the picture painted by Van Schaik.
"We have had a lot of contact with NEC in recent weeks and we have received no feedback that things were not in order," the spokesperson said. According to the Norwegian, there was also nothing unusual about the bath that was set up for NEC.
"The same bath was there when Manchester City and Inter played here, and nobody said anything about it," he continued. "This is the first time we have heard there is something wrong with it. We think we delivered what was asked for."
He then put Van Schaik's criticism into even sharper perspective. "There are teams that offer bins filled with ice, so there are far worse alternatives," the Bodø/Glimt press officer concluded.
By Monday, Van Schaik's remarks had already drawn plenty of criticism from Dutch and Norwegian football fans on X. "How unbelievably disrespectful," one person wrote, while another user said: "And then still get completely outclassed. This talk after last week... He's the ultimate Dutchman, so much chat. Come on, Bodø!"
Norwegian journalist Sigve Kvamme sneered on X: "Only when the gigantic club NEC Nijmegen - a club whose name you had to look up for a moment - come to Aspmyra do people really start laying into the lack of facilities."
Tuesday night now brings a different test for NEC. The Nijmegen side must wipe out an earlier 1-3 defeat to keep alive their hopes of reaching the league phase of the Champions League. If they are eliminated, the league phase of the Europa League remains as a safety net for NEC.
Kick-off is at 21.00 on Tuesday night at the now much-talked-about Aspmyra Stadion.