The saga of Bodø/Glimt offers some freshly written chapters that show that the net of highly commercialized elite football is not fine-meshed enough to stop a relatively small club from north of the Arctic Circle.
While Mjällby put major Swedish clubs like Malmö FF and Hammarby in their place during their record season, Bodø/Glimt has offered a sharper version of what Nordic club football can achieve.
The Norwegian Champions League sensation secured a place in the play-offs after victories over Manchester City and Atlético Madrid at the end of the league phase. Last year's finalists Inter were warned - but were still beaten in both legs of the round of 16.
Tribute to Thierry Henry
A bang that echoed throughout the football world.
The achievements prompted former French great Thierry Henry to describe it like this:
"We talk about money, we talk about names, but nothing beats a team. Nothing beats a team. We have to remember that football is a team sport," Henry said on CBS.
Bodø/Glimt, Norwegian champions for the first time in 2020, have steadily gained experience of top European football in recent years through matches in the Europa League and Conference League.
"Experiencing the very highest level at such close range does something to you. I feel that this is where you can really take steps, both as a player and as a team. We have benefited greatly from it," team captain Patrick Berg tells uefa.com.
Coach Kjetil Knutsen:
We have faced stronger and stronger opponents and have trusted the process we are in. It shows the potential within the team. It also shows how well we embrace learning, and how strong we are in terms of the group and the culture. I am proud of that, although I almost have to admit that it is a bit surprising that we have succeeded.
“Living in a dream”
Tonight, Portuguese side Sporting await at home on the artificial turf at Aspmyra Stadium in the first of two round-of-16 matches.
As players, it almost feels like we're living a dream. It's something we'll look back on in many years and probably think it was a bit surreal that it happened. It's incredibly fun to be a part of it, says Patrick Berg.
If Bodø/Glimt can beat Sporting, either Arsenal or Bayer Leverkusen will face them in the quarter-finals.
2021–22 season: Reaches the quarter-finals of the Conference League after victories against Roma, Celtic and AZ Alkmaar, among others.
2022–23: Reaches the group stage of the Europa League.
2023–24: Beats Besiktas home and away en route to the Conference League playoffs, where they face Ajax.
2024–25: Advances from the league stage of the Europa League and beats Twente, Olympiakos and Lazio in the play-offs. Tottenham prove too difficult in the semi-finals.
2025–26: Reaches the round of 16 in the Champions League after victories against Manchester City and Atlético Madrid in the league phase and against Inter in the round of 16.
