England goalkeeper Hannah Hampton has revealed how she threw the water bottle of Spanish rival Cata Coll into the stands - ditching its tactical notes - as the Lionesses went on to complete a dramatic penalty shootout win in the European Championship final. Chelsea stopper Hampton had England's own insider information written on a piece of paper taped to her arm - which proved crucial with stops from Mariona Caldentey and Aitana Bonmatí before Chloe Kelly scored the decisive kick as the Lionesses retained the trophy.
The 24-year-old admitted she took the opportunity to try to negate any impact Spain's penalty research might have, with Coll still saving efforts from Beth Mead and then captain Leah Williamson during the shootout, which England won 3-1. "The Spanish keeper had it on her bottle," Hampton told British radio station talkSPORT. "So, I thought when she was going in goal, I'll just pick it up and throw it into the English fans so she can't have it." Hampton added: "I never put it on a bottle because anyone can do that, so that is why I put it on my arm, and the TV caught that. It wasn't hard - when she has gone in the goal it [the bottle] is on its own isn't it? It is in a towel; you just pick it up. Mine is blank, but it has the same sponsors and stuff so I just put mine in there, chucked her one into the fans and she had an empty bottle, she was looking for where it is. She was walking back, and I was walking the other way. She was so confused. I was trying so hard not to burst out laughing [because] I was like 'oh, I don't know where it has gone'.... but you have got to do something haven't you?" Coll laughed off Hampton's claim, tweeting in Spanish alongside a pair of laughing emojis: "Okay, okay, calm down. If only it were true..."
Source: ESPN
