Of the four clubs in the semi-finals of this season’s Europa League, one in particular stands out. Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are Premier League giants. Athletic Club draw crowds of over 50,000 in LaLiga. Bodø/Glimt, however, play in the Arctic Circle and were in the Norwegian second division less than eight years ago.
In their current condition, Glimt are Norwegian champions. They are, in fact, the country’s dominant footballing force having won the Eliteserien title in four of the last five seasons. On top of this, Bodø/Glimt have made themselves a regular fixture in continental competition. José Mourinho still has nightmares about Roma’s 6-1 defeat to the Norwegians in 2021.
This season, though, Kjetil Knutsen’s team have reached new heights. Last week’s dramatic penalty shootout victory over Lazio took Glimt into the final four of the Europa League where they will take on Spurs for a place in the final. The Norwegians are just two wins from completing a Leicester City-style run.
Glimt’s Europa League run has been years in the making. Promoted from the assistant manager position to the top job in 2018, Knutsen quickly set about turning the counter-attacking team he inherited into a high-pressing, possession-based outfit. His high-intensity training drills were likened to the methods used by Marcelo Bielsa. ‘Murderball’ sessions are common.
Under Knutsen, Bodø/Glimt got fitter. Fitter than any other Eliteserien team which allowed them to play the most intense, and entertaining, football in the Norwegian top division. Trophies and titles followed, as did interest in Glimt’s best players. When some of them left, though, the identity of the team – and the club – remained. It’s still sustaining Knutsen’s team to this day.
“Everything is possible now,” said the Bodø/Glimt manager after the dramatic Europa League win over Lazio. “There are four teams left, and we have to keep working hard to prepare for Tottenham. They are a strong team with many good players. It’s going to be tough, like [against Lazio], but this group can do it, and we obviously believe in ourselves.”
It’s worth noting Bodø/Glimt are developing a different image in Norway. While the tiny Arctic club are viewed as loveable underdogs to European fans, they have made enemies of many within the domestic game. This is largely attributable to Glimt’s stance on VAR, something that put them at odds with the will of most Norwegian supporters.
This has positioned Bodø/Glimt as part of the establishment at a time when Norwegian football fans are doing their best to reshape the sport in the country. There’s no denying, however, that Knutsen and his players are doing something special in Europe. They are one of the best teams Norway has ever produced.
Knutsen’s success as Glimt boss has attracted interest from across Europe. The 56-year-old was linked with Celtic before Brendan Rodgers’ return to the Glasgow club two years ago. Brighton also reportedly took a look at the Norwegian after the departure of Roberto De Zerbi only to opt for Fabian Hürzeler instead.
Other clubs will surely give Knutsen a call this summer, particularly if his team goes even further in the Europa League. There will be interest in some of Glimt’s best players too. Defensive midfielder Patrick Berg has shone against some of the strongest teams on the continent. Nobody has scored more Europa League goals this season than Kasper Høgh while goalkeeper Nikita Haikin has been solid, not least in the shootout against Lazio.
Jens Petter Hauge was plucked from Glimt by AC Milan back in 2020 after making himself a key man under Knutsen. After struggling in Serie A, and at Eintracht Frankfurt afterwards, the Norwegian international returned to the Aspmyra Stadion and is once again a consistent performer for the Arctic outfit.
At some point, Bodø/Glimt may revert to the mean. Their annual wage budget of €6m pales in comparison to some of Europe’s bigger clubs. Glimt’s Europa League semi-final opponents Tottenham Hotspur, for example, have an annual wage budget of €120m. Spurs pay Son Heung-min more than Glimt pay their entire squad.
Right now, though, the club whose fans bring toothbrushes to matches are sweeping away the competition in the Europa League. It’s not just Lazio who have suffered at the hands of the Norwegians this season – it’s Porto, Braga, Beşiktaş, Maccabi Tel Aviv, FC Twente and Olympiacos, all of whom have lost to Glimt.
It takes a lot for Bodø/Glimt to compete at such a high level season after season, but their sustained success over several years shows it can be done. They are setting an example for other small clubs outside Europe’s Big Five leagues just as Leicester City for the rest of English football nine years ago.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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