THEY say people from Scandinavia are among the happiest – and it seems the same can be said for footballers too.
For Tottenham face the friendliest club on the continent on Thursday in the Europa League semi-finals.
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Bodo/Glimt’s unlikely run to the last four has been powered by a number of players sold and then re-signed to the collegiate Norwegian outfit.
Forward Jens Petter Hauge, for example, discovered the grass not to be greener elsewhere compared to Bodo’s plastic pitch when he first left for AC Milan in 2020.
He came back to his hometown club permanently earlier this year, following a stint at Eintracht Frankfurt, whom Spurs saw off in the quarter-finals.
Those returning are content to do so because of the pally atmosphere at the small club from the Arctic circle.
Sporting director Havard Sakariassen, 48, explained: “We have some guys in our team, Patrick Berg, Frederik Andre Bjorkan, Jens Petter Hauge, Hakon Evjen, who have left us and tried the other side, going to European clubs.
“It has a value in itself, in your life, to be able to play at this level in your hometown, also with your friends.
“The culture in the club here is something they really enjoy.
“Of course, over the years, we have become competitive in Scandinavia regarding salaries and the business part of it.
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“But I think it has to be rare to be able to play football with your mates at this level anywhere in Europe and that has a value.”
Bodo/Glimt grabbed headlines by battering Jose Mourinho’s Roma 6-1 in 2021.
They then played Tottenham’s North London rivals Arsenal a year later, also in the Europa League, but lost both group games without scoring a goal.
They have developed considerably since then, against the odds given their relatively tiny resources compared to some of the clubs they have seen off in Europe.
They have beaten FC Twente, Besiktas, Olympiacos and Lazio already this season.
While they certainly will not be taken lightly by Spurs chief Ange Postecoglou, whose Celtic side lost twice to Bodo/Glimt in the Europa Conference League three years ago.
Sakariassen, who had two stints at the club as a player, added: “For us every game is learning and we have played a lot of difficult games against good teams in Europe since we played Arsenal some years ago.
“We have cracked some codes regarding performance, especially away.
Manager’s impact
“To be more cynical, not to be naive going to play against good teams in Europe.
“It’s maybe a better squad but also a better prepared Bodo/Glimt at this point.”
Bodo/Glimt boss Kjetil Knutsen has been an integral part behind the club’s rise, having been in charge since 2018.
He has been linked to numerous posts, including Leeds and Brighton, in recent years.
Sakariassen is relaxed about his manager’s situation – while he reads nothing into Spurs’ atrocious league form ahead of the first-leg showdown in N17.
The supremo added: “Of course Kjetil is an attractive coach, that’s just the nature of what we do.
‘We have all the tools’
“I know that he enjoys being in Bodo, he enjoys working at this club.
“Should he for some reason decide to do something else I think we should applaud him to the airport and say thank you.
“But I’m not afraid of that at all, and I think that we will work here for more years to come – but who knows.
“I don’t think we look at Tottenham’s league form at all. We know that we meet a good team, tremendous football players at a high, high level.
“But we also walk into this game with confidence that whoever we meet we believe we’re able to compete.
“I truly believe we have all the tools to be brave enough to go out in London and just be Bodo/Glimt.”