1. A club in the polar circle
The Union will not have the pleasure of discovering the city of Bodo given the new format of European competitions this season. Too bad because the place located 150 kilometers higher than the center of the Arctic Circle is worth the detour. Located more than 1,000 kilometers from the Norwegian capital Oslo, with only 52,000 inhabitants, Bodo is known for its northern lights and its “midnight sun” which is a summer phenomenon during which the sun never sets. By winning their first national title in 2020, Bodo/Glimt even became the northernmost national champion on earth.
2. A magnificent European course
After its coronation in 2020, the team continued with a second title the following year. During the 2021-2022 season, Bodo/Glimt qualified for the Conference League and achieved a surprising run, first emerging undefeated from the group stage. A victory was talked about more than the others when the Norwegians crushed José Mourinho’s AS Roma at home with a score of 6-1. A slap in the face for the current Fenerbahçe coach who had never conceded six goals in his coaching career. If Bodo/Glimt’s fine run will finally be stopped in the quarter-finals by… AS Roma, the club will have been talked about and its coach will have come to the fore: Kjetil Knutsen, in office since 2018, is one key elements in the success of Bodo/Glimt. Against the Union, he will coach his 293rd match at the head of the team.
Mourinho conceded six goals for the first time in his career, against Bodo/Glimt.
3. Victor Boniface’s former club
At the start of 2019, the Bodo/Glimt players saw a Nigerian player arriving dressed in a simple t-shirt and ready to show his qualities on the pitch: Victor Boniface. Then aged 18, the striker quickly distinguished himself but injured his cruciate knee ligaments shortly after his arrival. Backing a center-forward now playing… in Japan, Boniface still scored 23 goals and delivered 8 assists in the 66 matches played during his three and a half years spent in Norway. Before signing for the Union for just over six million euros, during the summer of 2022, and experiencing a career trajectory that took him to the top of the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen.
4. Other great sales
Even though he is becoming one of the best strikers in the world, Victor Boniface is “only” the fifth biggest sale in Bodo/Glimt history. At 23, Albert Groenbaek is at the top of this small ranking, having signed this summer for Rennes for 15 million euros after spending two years at Bodo. Last winter, Faris Moumbagna left Norway for OM for the sum of 8 million euros. That’s a little more than what Club Bruges paid to attract Hugo Vetlesen who had become a Bodo/Glimt executive.
In terms of incoming transfers, the arrival of Axel Lindahl is the one that has attracted the most attention but not for the player’s talent. The transfer was in the air without it being formalized… before it leaked following the geolocation of the player, who was in Bodo to complete his transfer, via the dating application Tinder. However, the love affair did not last long: six months later, Lindahl returned on loan to his previous club…
Franjo Ivanovic, terrible promise from the Union: “Take advantage of it, because it’s going to be hard to keep him with us if he continues like this”
5. A club with good momentum
Still in D2 in 2017, the team is leading its championship with six days remaining (the season takes place over the calendar year). Undefeated at home, Bodo/Glimt only lost three games in twenty-four league games and narrowly missed qualifying for the Champions League, with a narrow goal against Red Star Belgrade. The Norwegians then got off to a perfect start to their Europa League journey with a victory against Porto (3-2) in their small 8,500-seat stadium, thanks to two goals from Jens Petter Hauge and a goal from Kasper Hogh, the center-forward. the most prolific of the team. Bodo/Glimt can also count on former Bruges player Philip Zinckernagel. Another threat that the Union will have to be wary of this Thursday evening.
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