A Norwegian football team has qualified for play in the Champions League, for the first time in 18 years. The small but successful Bodø/Glimt club from the northern city of Bodø won its spot even after losing Tuesday night’s match against Sturm Graz on its opponent’s home turf.
Bodø/Glimt had earlier wiped out Sturm Graz at home by 5-0, though, so had enough points to take part in Champions League action this fall. The last time a Norwegian team qualified for a spot was back in 2007, when the Rosenborg club based in Trondheim played at the highest level in Europe.
“It’s a really good feeling, of course, and something we’ve worked hard for over many years,” star Bodø/Glimt player Patrick Berg told Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK). “We’ve been close a few times, but now we’re there.”
It means Bodø/Glimt can now play against some of the best clubs in the world, like Arsenal and Manchester City (for which Norwegian football stars Martin Ødegaard and Erling Braut Haaland already play) or others like Liverpool, Real Madrid, Chelsea, Tottenham or Juventus. Actual matches will be made known in a draw later this week.
A spot in the Champions League also means lots of new financial support for Bodø/Glimt, which will get at least NOK 348 million in winnings and its share of TV-broadcasting rights from the European football association.
NewsinEnglish.no staff
