In the third qualifying round of the Conference League, our team will face Norway’s runner-up Bodø/Glimt. In recent years, our rival has won the affection of the football audience not only in their country, but throughout Europe, thanks to their impressive play, big victories and talented alumni. We will tell about how the Northern Star was lit up, and, of course, interesting facts.
The club in the city of Bodø appeared in 1916. Until 1972, teams from the northern and southern regions held tournaments separately, and Glimt won 9 North Norwegian championships since the early 1930s. In the 1960s and 1970s, the structure of competitions in the country changed. It was Bodø/Glimt that became the first northern club to win the Norwegian Cup (1975) and got the right to play in the top division (1977).
For a decade and a half, the team constantly changed different Norwegian leagues and underwent crisis in the 80s. In 1993, Bodø/Glimt strengthened themselves in the top division and stayed in it for 12 years, although they still could not show a stable result.
In the late 2010s, the club began to revive. In 2018, the team appeared in the Norwegian top division Eliteserien and every year it achieved better and better results, thanks to a well-thought-out financial and transfer strategy, well-coordinated work of managers and coaches.
Kjetil Knutsen led Bodø/Glimt to the main achievements in its history. The basic principles of the Norwegian specialist are building an attacking combinational football and integrating players into the system. Knutsen joined Bodø/Glimt in 2018, and the club finished second in the top league the following year. In 2020, the team had an outstanding season, winning 26 out of 30 matches and scoring 103 goals, and secured the gold medals 5 rounds before the end of the championship. In 2021, Bodø/Glimt took first place again. At the end of every winning season, Kjetil Knutsen was named the best coach. By the way, Bodø/Glimt's victory in Eliteserien is also notable because it allowed the club to become the northernmost champion in football history.
Bodø/Glimt started performing in Europe since the 1970s, however, the club has achieved its best results in recent years. In 2021, the team made its debut in the Champions League but failed to qualify for the main stage and continued to play in the Conference League. The club advanced to the group stage, where it faced Roma, Zorya Luhansk and CSKA Sofia. Bodø / Glimt suffered no defeat, and in a home match completely beat the Italian team 6:1, which was considered a favorite. In the playoffs, the Norwegians beat Celtic and AZ and again faced a team from Rome in the quarterfinals. Bodø/Glimt won the home game, but could not advance further following the results of the confrontation, losing 0:4 away. With such a bright performance, the club attracted the attention of all football fans of Europe and registered highest result in the European competition, the Conference League quarterfinals.
The success of Bodø/Glimt stems from the adoption of the Belgian model of development. It involves the creation of a strong Academy, the revelation of the potential of "no-names" and profitable resale. To prove that the club is functioning effectively, we will tell you about several transfers.
Alumnus Jens Petter Hauge moved to Milan for 5 million euros in 2020, and played on loan for Eintracht the next season. Together with the team from Frankfurt, the footballer won the Europa League. Another alumnus, Patrick Berg, is also one of the top bestsellers of Bodø/Glimt. In 2022, the midfielder was bought by the French Lens for 4.5 million euros. The club's most expensive transfers are young Norwegian players Hugo Vetlesen, who moved to Club Brugge for 7.75 million, and Erik Botheim, who was bought by Krasnodar in 2022 for 7.5 million euros.
Another important aspect in Bodø/Glimt’s system is psychology. Specialist Bjorn Mannsverk, a former honored military pilot, works for the club. He teaches footballers to focus not on results, but on their own development, and unites them into a single family.
At the moment, the team places first in the championship with 41 points in 18 rounds. Amahl Pellegrino, who scored 14 goals and provided 7 assists, is the top scorer of the squad.
The Norwegian club impresses with its tactical flexibility during the game. In the matches of the national championship, this team usually wins by big scores. Kjetil Knutsen's footballers, beside combination play, also stand out with long shot goals and individual high qualities. Pellegrino and Moumbagna, who scored 26 goals together in the domestic league, are the driving forces of the team.
Very soon we will play with Bodø/Glimt, an ambitious and young team that has already gained experience in big matches and outstanding victories. We will definitely witness an emotional match at a foreign stadium. I wonder if we will see the main fan attribute of Bodø/Glimt - a huge toothbrush in the colors of the club. Yes, as for symbols, our rival also stands out among most teams
In 1975, one of the fans in the stands was disappointed with the team's game and decided to manage it himself and used a toothbrush as a conductor's baton. The gesture received the approval of other fans. Moreover, there was a company which began producing toothbrushes specifically for Bodø/Glimt fans. Since 2009, the club itself has been selling toothbrushes. The demand is so great that the symbols are sold not only in the city, but throughout Norway.
We look forward to meeting with such an interesting rival and wish good luck to our guys!
