The fairytale continues! For the second consecutive season, Glimt have won the Eliteserien, the top level of Norwegian men’s football.
It came down to the final day, on which Bodø/Glimt won 3-0 at bottom of the table Mjøndalen. Despite nearest challengers Molde winning at Haugesund, Glimt’s win was enough to secure a second consecutive title.
It’s a relief to get over the line for Glimt, who threw away a golden opportunity to secure the title in front of their own fans just one week ago.
Leading 2-0 against relegation-threatened Brann, the party was ruined as Brann came back and equalised well into injury time. That sent the title race—and the relegation battle—to the final day of the season.
Glimt’s golden game
But in truth, any doubts about whether Glimt could finish the job today were quickly extinguished as they raced into a two-goal lead inside just three minutes thanks to Botheim and Pellegrino.
A goal ten minutes from time was the icing on the cake. Botheim turned creator for substitute Bjørkan to net the third.
The unlikely champions, again
To most casual observers, Bodø/Glimt have come out of nowhere in recent years to end the dominance of Molde at the top of Norwegian football. That’s at least partly true.
But Glimt’s investment in their youth system and a very clear, consistent style of play has paid off handsomely. Yet their success for a second successive season surprised many who expected the big guns Molde and Rosenberg to hit back this year, especially after the loss of several key players to European sides.
Glimt captain Ulrik Saltnes said it was “a greater achievement” than the first title win.
Last year, British coach Gregg Broughton spoke to the Life in Norway Show about Glimt’s academy setup. “My main direct task is to try and create and maintain the best development environments in Norway. That's what we try and do within the Academy,” he said.
Much of the credit for the performances of the team go to manager Kjetil Knutsen, who has maintained a team full of energetic attacking play while retaining a solid defence. In 30 league games, Glimt conceded just 25 goals, 12 less than the next best defence in the league.
Glimt have also managed to outperform expectations in Europe this season, progressing to the group stage of the UEFA Conference League.
A memorable 6-1 win over Jose Mourinho’s Roma made sure the whole of Europe knew the name Bodø/Glimt! The Bodø side still have a chance to progress in the tournament via a play-off.
The future for Glimt
There have been strong rumours linking Knutsen with a move away from Glimt for many weeks now, most recently to fallen giants Rosenberg. He refused to be drawn on speculation after the title-winning game.
But even if Knutsen leaves, Glimt will be confident the foundations have been laid for future success.
Off-the-field, the club has plans for an impressive new stadium as part of the Bodø city expansion project.
Improved facilities are desperately needed if Glimt is to have a sustainable future, as anyone who has stood on the freezing away terrace as the current Aspmyra stadium can attest to!
Congratulations to Bodø/Glimt on their achievement from everyone at Life in Norway!
