Willem II embarrassed as pre-match tactics left in hotel – and go online before game
A Dutch cup match has been overshadowed by a strange tactical leak
Some exciting (sort of) tactical espionage from the Netherlands.
Ahead of a recent KNVB Cup match, travelling Willem II stayed in a Rotterdam hotel ahead of their game with Feyenoord. And, as normal, visiting coach Erwin van de Looi ran through tactics with his players the night before.
The only problem being that after Willem II were done with their meeting - presumably in an ancillary room somewhere within the hotel - they didn't take their masterplan with them. This being the social media age, pictures of the flow chart above found their way onto social media before the game. Because of course they did.
Willem II ultimately lost the clash 3-0, but Van de Looi was quick to dismiss the notion that the leaked information was behind the defeat. Rightly, too, because Feyenoord are a superior side that hardly needed an extra advantage.
Nevertheless, Van de Looi has subsequently told the Dutch press that his team will no longer use the same hotel on away trips if, as seems blindingly obvious, one of their staff is found to be responsible. Oops.
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Seb Stafford-Bloor is a football writer at Tifo Football and member of the Football Writers' Association. He was formerly a regularly columnist for the FourFourTwo website, covering all aspects of the game, including tactical analysis, reaction pieces, longer-term trends and critiquing the increasingly shady business of football's financial side and authorities' decision-making.