New Delhi: More than a decade ago, Bodo/Glimt were in a big financial crunch and in the worst imaginable condition. The side was struggling even in Norway’s second-flight football and had hit their low point, as said by their sporting director Havard Sakariassen. Those days seem long back now as they prepare to face Manchester United at Old Trafford for the Europa League clash.
Their hardship back in 2011 involved the team washing their own kit at home. Sakariassen, who had just retired from football, was suddenly responsible for the team’s equipment. The club’s resources are much advanced now, and the story is different. The improvement means they won’t feel they don’t belong to the continental football clash against United.
They are into their fifth consecutive season playing in European football and have defeated big teams in their time around. During the 2021-22 Conference League, Bodo/Glimt managed to beat an AS Roma team 6-1 while Jose Mourinho was in charge of the Italian side. In one of the encounters a couple of years ago, Arsenal constantly suffered close calls against Bodo/Glimt. This year, FC Porto have already suffered a 3-2 defeat against the Norwegian team.
Vi har fått en nydelig start mot Porto! 💛😍
Foto: Kent Even Grundstad pic.twitter.com/WgyahN84ie
— FK Bodø/Glimt (@Glimt) September 25, 2024
Coming from a sparsely populated town of Bodo, the Scandinavian side reaching this far in European football was no less an achievement. The team now has the confidence to give a run for their money to the big teams. Long-time midfielder Ulrik Saltnes of the side agreed in an interaction with Guardian that their “journey” had many challenges.
Saltnes has made 370 appearances for the side, being with the side when an appearance on the big top flight seemed like a distant dream. They were very inconsistent in those days. Saltnes agreed that a lot had changed, including the people around the team. It is remarkable that the side has managed to be so consistent since 2020.
This turnaround began when Kjetil Knutsen joined the side in 2018. The 56-year-old has been linked with many roles with Premier League clubs. However, he is still with the club, making Glimt a strong team from Norway. In 2020, the side won their first Eliteserien and has since lifted the title two more times. If they beat Lillestrom in a grandstand finale of the domestic cup, they will add their fourth title.
Bodo/Glint’s tactical and recruitment genius
The club has existed since 1916, and its rebuilding came without any capital support from business tycoons but through a very dynamic and intense approach to football. On top of that, they have made smart recruitments with a focus on bringing in the local talents. Bayer Leverkusen’s Victor Boniface is one of the rare names, coming from Nigeria, who spent three years with the side.
Knutsen’s team is usually in majority Norwegian. While they have made investments through big transfer fees, Sakariassen has noted the club’s philosophy isn’t to sell their players in general. As a club Glimt don’t set themselves big goals before the season and are more concerned about how they can improve with each game. They keep things simple and work hard and smart to improve their productivity.
Can Bodo/Glint inspire other Scandinavian clubs?
Their success has made them an example amidst other Scandinavian teams as to how teams can progress. Over the past few years, the region hasn’t been able to play at the top level of European football and is falling behind in the standards expected at this level of football. This makes Glimt the ideal to improve the football level around them. It is something that Sakariassen and his club are happy to help with.
It is Sakariassen’s belief that in the future, more Norwegian clubs will improve their performance. Saltnes went on to point that their domestic rivals have challenged them tactically better than most of their European counterparts could. This year, Brann are just a point behind them and this is one of the reasons that could help them maintain their current football standards.
📍Old Trafford pic.twitter.com/TUXfqYPlOB
— FK Bodø/Glimt (@Glimt) November 27, 2024
For their own future, the club is currently looking to build a new stadium. It will be something that will be in their range and will be replacing the Aspmyra with a venue that can accommodate 10,000. They are hopeful that at some stage, the Champions League will be played as well.
Their debut season in the Champions League would have been much better, but they ultimately crashed out of the playoffs with a 3-2 aggregate defeat against Red Star Belgrade. It does show that they will pose some challenges at Old Trafford, with United coming to the clash with Ruben Amorim, who is now at the helm of the Red Devils. Sakariassen was a United fan and takes pride in putting his home side at a position where they are a notable team in European football and it means a lot that the side has made such an impact.
After years of struggle, Bodo/Glimt finally feel they can take on big teams with brilliant performances against big teams in European football. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
