How a dressing-room discussion led to NEC's European victory

NEC manager Schreuder sparked tactical debate in the dressing room at half-time, leading to defensive adjustments that helped secure a comeback win at Dinamo Zagreb in European competition.

NEC trailed 2-1 at half-time in their European fixture at Dinamo Zagreb after defensive vulnerabilities in the first half allowed the hosts to exploit space behind the three-man defence. Manager Dick Schreuder and his coaching staff identified the problem: the back line was uncomfortable with the space in their rear, and Dinamo's attackers were dropping deep to create gaps. At the interval, Schreuder proposed a tactical shift to defend higher up the pitch, closer to the midfield, sparking discussion among the players. The adjustment worked: Bryan Linssen had already levelled at 2-2 before half-time, and the tactical tweaks in the second half helped NEC secure the European victory.