Before the second leg at the San Siro, where Inter Milan were to “rectify” the 3-1 loss up at the Arctic Circle, there was an entertaining analysis in La Repblublica. The journalist was convinced the Bodø/Glimt players would get a taste of Inter Milan’s greatness at the San Siro with: “A packed stadium, supporters’ cheers and a turf that is far more well-groomed and predictable in the bounce than what they are used to – and three meters wider than Aspmyra”. As you know, it ended with another Glimt victory. Now another Italian journalist comes out with the opposite message: “Italian teams must copy Bodø/Glimt!”
A Gazzetta dello Sport journalist firmly believes Knutsen’s Bodø/Glimt have rapped the basic philosophy of Italian football. -They stole our idea, Vernazza begins in a comment for the sports newspaper.
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“Everyone talks about how strong, entertaining and organized Bodø are – and it’s true – but it should be noted that Bodø played a very defensive game, where they fought and focused on counter-attacks, as Italian teams previously did,” the journalist continues.
Who wants back the cynical and direct football Italy for so many decades was known and notorious for.
“Bodø didn’t dribble. They had speed and few touches, the commentator believes. We neither ask for, nor can we afford – because we lack the right players – a return to the Italian defense from the more extreme times. With the “Berlin Wall” we won our last World Cup in 2006, and with José Mourinho’s Inter we won our last Champions League in 2010. Even the European Championship gold in 2021 was a success based on the goalkeeper and defenders, Vernazza doses.
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Who believes the whole of football Italy must learn from Kjetil Knutsen’s Bodø/Glimt.
“It would be enough with an organization like Bodø: It’s something we can strive for. We must stop aping unattainable models. We should start from scratch – from scratch. To even get started again, we need to reclaim the essentials and cynicism. The principles Bodø were inspired by against Inter. They’ve stolen our idea, and they’ve stolen it well,” the Italian journalist grumbles.
Well, then it will not only be Jürgen Klopp who travels on a study trip to Bodø to learn.
