Bodø/Glimt's Historic European Run
Norwegian club Bodø/Glimt has captured attention with their historic Champions League run, having beaten Premier League's Manchester City 3-1, La Liga's Atletico Madrid 2-1, and Serie A's Inter twice (3-1 and 2-1) this season. Their victories over top European clubs from England, Spain, and Italy mark an unprecedented achievement for Norwegian football.
- The club operates on a significantly smaller budget than its Champions League rivals; in 2025, their annual budget was approximately €43.45 million. For comparison, Tottenham Hotspur, a recent European opponent, had revenues of over €600 million in the 2023/24 season. - Their success is masterminded by coach Kjetil Knutsen, who has been in charge since 2018. Under his leadership, Bodø/Glimt has won the Norwegian top-flight, Eliteserien, four times since 2020. - This historic run to the round of 16 is a new benchmark for Norwegian football, marking the first time a club from Norway has won a knockout tie in the Champions League era. The previous best was Rosenborg's quarter-final appearance in the 1996-97 season. - The team is performing in the Champions League knockout stages while in their domestic off-season. The Norwegian Eliteserien concluded on November 30, 2025, and is not scheduled to resume until mid-March. - Key to their attacking prowess is forward Jens Petter Hauge, who has scored six goals in this Champions League campaign. Hauge, a local player, returned to the club after stints with AC Milan, Eintracht Frankfurt, and Gent. - Bodø/Glimt's home ground, the Aspmyra Stadion, has a capacity of just 8,276 and features an artificial turf pitch, a necessity to withstand the harsh Arctic climate. - The club's journey to European prominence is a recent phenomenon. As recently as 2016, the club was relegated from the Norwegian top flight and faced financial difficulties, relying on community fundraising to survive. - A unique aspect of the club's approach includes the use of a former fighter pilot, Bjørn Mannsverk, as a mental coach to instill a high-performance culture.
