This is what AZ can expect from giant killer Bodø/Glimt: attractive and power-tiki-taka

Fotballklubben Bodø/Glimt, as the club is called in full, plays its home matches in the Aspmyra Stadium. With a capacity of 4,161 spectators, it is comparable to a small first division stadium. Bodø is 2,750 kilometers from Alkmaar (route without ferry services) and is even above the Arctic Circle. However, the thick winter coats can stay in the closet, because the weather will be quite pleasant this week with temperatures above zero.

giant killer

The name Bodø/Glimt also does not really appeal to the imagination. It is a real regional team with a budget of 7 million (comparable to that of PEC Zwolle and Fortuna Sittard). Bodø was promoted to the top division in Norway in 2017. In the following season, it finished eleventh under the leadership of Kjetil Knutsen, after which the team established itself definitively in the Norwegian top. Bodø became second and the last two years national champion. The impressive way in which will be discussed later.

The championship, which came completely out of the sky all over Norway, resulted in a place in the preliminary round of the Champions League, but the Polish Legia Warsaw was too strong. The Norwegians subsequently achieved more success in the qualifying rounds of the Conference League. In it, Valur Reykjavik (3-0, 3-0), FK Pristina (1-2, 2-0), FK Zalgiris (2-2, 1-0) was expertly settled.

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That doesn’t sound terribly frightening, but in the group stage Bodø established a great performance by winning no less than 6-1 against AS Roma against José Mourinho at home. Mourinho has spent more than a thousand matches on the bench as a coach, but has never conceded six goals. Suddenly Bodø’s name was established in Europe. In Rome it also stayed on its feet and it became 2-2. Furthermore, in the group stage, Zorja Luhansk won 3-1 and CSKA Sofia 2-0. Bodø drew in the away games. So the Norwegian train steamed on without loss.

In the 1/16th final it met Celtic, which AZ eliminated in the preliminary round of the Europa League† Bodø was 3-1 too strong at home and in a packed Celtic Park it won 2-0 (5-1 over two games).

View the images of Bodø/Glimt – AS Roma (6-1) below

The secret

What then is hidden behind the Norwegian team, which has climbed from second divisionist to Norwegian champion and giant killer in Europe? A number of things that stand out are the coach, the origin of the team and the attractive playing style. As a coach, Kjetil Knutsen is a true everyone’s friend. The players run away with him. Captain Ulrik Saltnes ‘loves him’ and a former player says the coach ‘listens to all players’.

In addition, the team consists largely of players from Bodø. The club feels like a real family club and is looking for players close to home. A large part of the current selection flowed on from their own youth. “Half of the team are locals,” says technical director Orjan Berg. “We try to scout forty percent of the selection from the north of Norway. That is part of our identity. The fans prefer to see guys from the region.”

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AZ has therefore been warned about the Norwegians, who are the most accurate team in the Conference League this season. The man to whom all the attention then goes is Ola Solbakken. The striker has already scored six goals in a European context and gave two assists. Captain Ulrik Saltnes sets out the lines in midfield. In addition to all the locals, Bodø also has a Dutch person under contract. Joshua Smits exchanged Almere City for the Norwegian team in 2020.

Under Knutsen’s leadership, Bodø plays attacking and enchanting football, scores a lot and resembles Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool in terms of playing style. Attack full throttle, overrun the opponent, put pressure on the whole game and score as many goals as possible. And that in a 4-3-3 with considerable pressing forward, he starts the opponent’s sixteen.

It power tiki taka, with which AS Roma and Celtic were played from pillar to post, impresses many analysts. With that football Bodø recorded the most wins ever, the most goals in one season, the most points ever, the longest winning streak ever. With 81 points from thirty matches and a goal difference of 103 for and 32 against, Bodø proved to be in the outside category last year.

Evjen and Witry

The competition in Norway is a return to their native country for Hakon Evjen and Aslak Fonn Witry. For Evjen it is even a reunion with his old club. The winger played at Bodø from 2017 to 2019, after which AZ took him over during the winter break. Witry is also from Norway and played at Ranheim from 2015 to 2018. There he was a teammate of Solbakken. The third Norwegian in the AZ selection is Fredrik Midtsjø, but he will not travel to the far north due to an injury.

The first leg in the eighth final of the Conference League between Bodø/Glimt and AZ starts tonight at 9 p.m.