Bodo/Glimt has recently demonstrated that there is a place in the Champions League for clubs outside the traditional powerhouses of European football, without diminishing the tournament’s prestige. Their last four outcomes include a draw against Dortmund and victories over Manchester City, Atlético Madrid, and Inter Milan—the latter triumph occurring in the Spanish capital, a remarkable achievement in itself.
A Small Town’s Big Impact
Situated just north of the Arctic Circle, the town of Bodo, with a modest population of 53,000, hosts Bodo/Glimt, a club whose facilities and resources starkly contrast with those of Europe’s elite. Their home ground accommodates merely 8,270 spectators, although there are plans to expand it to a capacity of 10,000. Financially, the club operates on a budget slightly exceeding 60 million euros, a significant increase from just four million under a decade ago. The squad itself predominantly consists of homegrown talent, with 19 out of 27 players born in Norway, and only four of them holding international caps.
Their rise is all the more impressive given the club’s precarious situation merely fifteen years ago, when it teetered on the brink of bankruptcy. Supporters mobilized, initiating fundraising campaigns that played a crucial role in stabilizing the club’s finances and securing its survival.