Bodø/Glimt are in the semi-finals of the Europa League. On the ball island, you try to explain how a club from a small town north of the Arctic Circle is getting better and better year by year and can catch up with Europe’s giants.
Regardless of whether Bodø/Glimt advance from the semi-finals against Tottenham, Bodø/Glimt’s head coach is now on the lists of several clubs both in the Premier League and Championship. – It’s not the first time Kjetil Knutsen has been mentioned, Brighton were particularly active a couple of years ago, but in the end thought the risk with a familiar (to them) was too great despite the fact that he had just humiliated Jose Mourinho and Roma.
Read: Tottenham coach has “seen through” little Bodø/Glimt
The answer to the BBC goes a long way to explaining why Bodø/Glimt are doing so well, as are the smiles the day before the day.
The BBC wants to find out where things stood and contacted Bodø/Glimt’s management after rumours that both Leeds, who have just been promoted to the Premier League, and Scottish Rangers are interested.
Kjetil Knutsen started his coaching career at the fifth division club Høvding in 1995. ” Bodø/Glimt coach Kjetil Knutsen deserves to be applauded “all the way to the airport” if he were to leave the overachieving Norwegian club.”
Technical director Håvard Sakariassen told BBC Sport that he has become accustomed to the 56-year-old Knutsen being mentioned in connection with some of Europe’s more famous clubs.
Read: Leading the race to sign one of Premier League history’s highest scorers as a brilliant partner to Jørgen Strand Larsen
After seven seasons together, where Bodø has won four Norwegian league championships and become the first Norwegian team to reach a major European Cup semi-final, Sakariassen is relaxed about the speculation – and does not think Knutsen will disappear.
“It’s his eighth year here, so we’ve been on a long journey together to build up Bodø/Glimt to what it is today,” he said.
“It wasn’t a quick fix. The first season he was head coach, half of the Bodø/Glimt press wanted to sack him halfway through the season.”
“But internally, there was never a discussion. We were 100% sure that Kjetil was the right man – and he knew it.”
“I know that he enjoys his time in Bodø and that he enjoys working at this club. He has probably had some very good offers along the way, and should he for some reason decide to do something else, I think we should applaud him all the way to the airport and say thank you.”
“But I’m not afraid of it at all. I think we’ll be working together here for many years to come – but who knows.”
Knutsen’s name often
pops up every time there are vacancies in the Premier League, and with clubs across Europe operating with significantly higher budgets, there is also certain interest in their players.
Captain Patrick Berg – who is suspended for the first leg against Tottenham – left for French side Lens in 2021, but returned less than a year later. Midfielder Håkon Evjen left the club in 2019 for stays in the Netherlands and Denmark, but returned in 2024.
Bodø/Glimt have worked hard to secure a contract, but Sakariassen feels that the club has a special attraction that makes the players not want to leave.
“Number one is that we have good contracts with all our players, which is very important,” he said. “It was a lot of work in the last few years to put us in a position where we are in control.”
“The fact that players or staff are attractive to other countries and clubs is only a positive thing. It’s nothing to be afraid of, because it means we’re doing a good job and achieving success.”
“But it’s also because the players like to play here and be a part of it. It must be a very cool club that comes to top Bodø/Glimt.”
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