After historic entry into the semifinals of the Europa League this season, Bodo/Glimt did not happen by chance after years of outstanding success stories.
The club north of the Arctic Circle will become Norway’s first team in the semifinals of a big European tournament on Thursday, when they defeated Tottenham Hotspur in the first leg of the last four tie.
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This is an amazing achievement for a town with nearly 1,200 km or 16 hours of road from the Norwegian capital Oslo.
Due to the performance of Kjetil Knutsen's team over the past six years, frozen football backflows should be placed firmly on the map.
On April 17, Bodo/Glimt - "Glimt" means "Flash" in Norwegian - the most amazing result when they beat Roma's free throw in the Europa League quarterfinals.
They won a 2-0 victory in the first leg a week ago with two goals from Ulrik Saltnes, although only the snow in the blizzard cleared the blizzard with the 8,200-capacity Aspmyra Stadium.
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They then survived the storm on the Italian court to return to the progress of the gunfight and established a tie with Tottenham.
According to analyst Deloitte, the Spurs are a poor Premier League giant and the ninth largest club in the world, with revenue of 615 million euros ($702 million).
Meanwhile, Bodo/Glimt's revenue reached €60 million (US$68 million), higher than the 2017 budget of €4.2 million.
"The club has transformed from a small second-zone team in Norway to the most stable financial platform in the country in the past seven decades," he said.
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In 2017, they were promoted to Norway's top Eliteserien, a competition that has been dominated by Rosenborg of Trondheim for thirty years.
- Stable but without stars -
Bodo/Glimt finished second in 2019 and then won his first title in 2020. They have now won four of the last five domestic titles.
This format makes them a regular European visitor under Knutsen, who takes them to the quarterfinals of the Europa Conference League in 2022, especially in a group match that beat Mourinho 6-1 and eliminates the Celtics.
They have three failed attempts to surpass the Champions League qualifiers, but have charming connections with Arsenal, Ajax and Manchester United.
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Now, reaching the semifinals means they have been eclipsed by Rosenborg, who reached the Champions League quarterfinals in 1997.
"I don't believe in miracles, I believe in our journey," Northon said after deposed Lazio.
Knutsen, 56, took over in early 2018, promoted from his assistant to promotion, so has been there throughout seven years of success.
Stars on the current team include Danish forward Kasper Hogh and experienced midfielder Saltnes, who spent his entire career at the club.
Others are back, too, such as Norwegian international winger Jens-Petter Hauge, who headed to AC Milan in 2020 and won the Europa League with Eintracht Frankfurt in 2022, but returned home last year.
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The father and uncle of midfielder Patrick Berg once played for Bodo/Glimt, and his spell on the 2022 footage of his French shot is back.
It’s not a star team, but they have succeeded by keeping the squad and keeping the coach.
"Our main focus is performance rather than player sales," Thomason told Calcio e Finanza.
“This is crucial for the club’s long-term growth thanks to the financial support of the UEFA game.”
The European running season has already been worth about €20 million for a club, which is currently planning to enter a new 10,000-seat stadium, the Arctic Arena, in 2027.
The future looks bright, and so is the outlook now, with 3,000 Bodo/Glimt supporters set to play in London against Tottenham on Thursday.
AS/She