Giant killer continues remarkable rise

Bodo/Glimt is on the march in the Champions League after dumping out European giant Inter Milan, the latest chapter in a remarkable rise for the tiny club from north of the Arctic Circle.

Kjetil Knutsen's team reached the last 16 of the Europe's biggest club competition with two wins over last year's finalist and runner-up — a 5-2 aggregate victory giving it, perhaps, the most significant result in its history.

"I think it's an amazing evening for the club, for the players, for the town and also for Norwegian football," said Knutsen, who has been in charge of Bodo/Glimt since 2018.

"We are not talking about goals, we are talking about how to perform and how we can take steps and develop the players and the team.

"We have our way to do it and that's really important."

Tuesday's triumph was its fourth straight win in the Champions League, with victories over Manchester City and Atletico Madrid in the final two league phase matches allowing Bodo/Glimt to snatch a spot in the knockout play-offs.

Bodo/Glimt was only promoted to Norway's top tier — a competition which had been dominated for three decades by Rosenborg of Trondheim — in 2017, and has been crowned national champion in four of the last six seasons.

And since then, it has slowly risen up the domestic and European ranks, last season becoming the first Norwegian team to play in the semifinals of a major European competition with their run to the last four of the Europa League.

Before this season, its best result was beating Lazio on penalties in the quarterfinals of the Europa League before being eliminated by Tottenham Hotspur.

But now, the team with no star players and a tiny budget has moved to a whole new level, with one of either City or Sporting of Portugal awaiting it next month.

"Look at that amazing group. It's surreal and insanely cool, I don't know what to say," goalscorer Hakon Evjen said.

Team captain Patrick Berg added that it was "the biggest thing I've experienced in the course of my career".

Looking forward

Bodo/Glimt had previously been considered tricky opposition due to its artificial pitch and the frequently frigid conditions at its 8,200-capacity Aspmyra Stadium.

But it has now added strong away performances to its armory, with a solid defensive display on Tuesday allowing Jens Petter Hauge and Evjen to dish out two sucker punches.

"I always look forward, so that's how we're thinking. For me, history is not so important," added Knutsen.

"For us, it's been unbelievable. We knew it would be very hard against Inter, who are a very strong team and played in the final last season," said Hauge, who played for AC Milan in 2020-21.

It was a rude awakening for three-time winner Inter, heavy favorite to win the Serie A title this season and the stature and budget of which dwarf that of the Norwegian side.

A pasting at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain might have colored their last European campaign, but Inter got to that final by seeing off Bayern Munich and Barcelona in epic knockout ties.

Inter had the better of the first half, but once Hauge capitalized on Manuel Akanji inexplicably giving the ball away on the edge of his area, there was no way back for the Italians.

"We know that the Champions League is very competitive, if a team reaches this stage of the competition that means that they are offering something," said Inter coach Cristian Chivu.

"They showed that in Dortmund, Madrid, against City and twice against us."

Defeat to Bodo/Glimt was also symbolic, after Norway swatted Italy aside twice in World Cup qualifying.

Italy faces the prospect of no team reaching the last 16 with Juventus and Atalanta trailing Galatasaray and Borussia Dortmund, the latest blow to the reputation of a grand old soccer nation that has since fallen on hard times.

Agencies