Norway's Bodø/Glimt have qualified for the group stage of the Champions League and are set to welcome some of Europe's biggest clubs to the Norwegian Arctic.
It's been 18 years since a Norwegian club last played at the highest level of European football. Now a small-town team will continue its fairytale by competing against Europe's best.
Despite a 2-1 defeat in Austria, Glimt's 5-0 thrashing of play-off opponents Sturm Graz in the first leg in Bodø was enough to secure a place in football's biggest club competition.
The draw or the group stage, held in Monaco, handed Glimt a blockbuster schedule.
Erling Braut Haaland’s Manchester City will visit Bodø, while the Norwegian champions also face Juventus, Tottenham Hotspur, Monaco, Borussia Dortmund, Atlético Madrid, Slavia Praha and Galatasaray.
That means four massive home fixtures for the yellow and black at their intimate Aspmyra stadium, which holds fewer than 9,000 fans. In addition to Manchester City, Juventus, Tottenham Hotspur, and Monaco will all visit Bodø.
Pep Guardiola’s City and Haaland’s return to Norway is expected to be the biggest sporting occasion in the town’s history.
Positive Response to the Draw
Assistant coach Aasmund Bjørkan called the draw “completely wild” and a dream opportunity for the club and its fans. “We get to test ourselves at the highest level of world football. Erling has been here before, and now he returns with Manchester City. It will be a special match,” he says.
Players were equally excited, even while acknowledging the challenge. Midfielder Håkon Evjen said Dortmund away will be “insane” because of the famous Signal Iduna Park atmosphere, while he also highlighted the chance to take on Tottenham at home, just a year after facing the London side in the Europa League.
“These are memories for life. Of course we hope we can surprise and perform well in such incredible settings,” said Evjen. Jens Petter Hauge was also delighted, calling it a “fantastic draw” with “the kinds of nights we dream about.”
Champions League’s New Format
This year’s tournament involves the Champions League’s expanded league phase. Thirty-six teams will play eight matches each against opponents from different seeding pots.
The top eight progress directly to the last sixteen, while teams placed ninth to twenty-fourth enter a playoff round.
For Glimt, simply reaching this stage is already a huge success. By qualifying via a playoff win against Austria’s Sturm Graz, they secured more than NOK 348 million in prize money and broadcasting revenue.
Each win in the league stage would add another NOK 24.7 million, with NOK 8.8 million awarded for a draw.
A One Club League?
But this level of prize money has left some questioning if Glimt's fairytale will be good for Norwegian football in general.
Viking are among the clubs to question whether Glimt's soaring revenues will lead to a competitive imbalance in the domestic game. Fans of other clubs have also been vocal in their frustrations at the money pouring into Arctic Norway.
But managers of many Eliteserien teams told NRK they think Glimt's success and subsequent revenues will be “motivating” for the other clubs.
From Bodø to Europe
Founded in 1916, Bodø/Glimt have risen from obscurity to become the dominant force in Norwegian football in recent years, claiming four Eliteserien titles since 2020.
Their high-tempo, attacking style under coach Kjetil Knutsen has earned admiration across Europe, and famous victories against the likes of Roma in previous European competitions put them firmly on the map.
But this is a new level altogether. Few expect Glimt to qualify for the knockout rounds, yet the prospect of welcoming some of football’s biggest stars to Bodø is already being hailed as a victory in itself.
TV 2 commentator Simen Stamsø-Møller summed it up: “It’s an insanely tough draw, no doubt about it. But for Bodø, this is also a fairytale. Haaland and Manchester City at Aspmyra. What could be bigger?”
The adventure begins in mid-September, when the Champions League anthem will ring out under the Arctic sky.
