“I don’t think it is possible”- Ange Postecoglou faces backlash from fans after insisting Spurs will likely not see off’ Bodo/Glimt in first-leg
Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou has rejected any suggestion that his team will easily dispatch Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt in their Europa Conference League semi-final first leg on Thursday night. Despite the visitors being weakened by suspensions and injuries, and the tie kicking off at the more favorable venue of Tottenham’s home ground — far away from Bodo’s notorious artificial pitch and sub-zero conditions — Postecoglou was quick to warn against complacency.
“You try and take advantage of playing at home in Europe — that’s the case for every team,” said the Australian boss during his pre-match press conference. “But that doesn’t mean the tie is decided here and now. Semi-finals are rarely simple. They’re usually tightly contested and this will be no different.”
Tottenham fans may be buoyed by Bodo/Glimt’s depleted squad and the absence of their frozen fortress in northern Norway, but Postecoglou knows firsthand how dangerous this team can be. He was the Celtic manager when Bodo/Glimt ruthlessly eliminated the Scottish side in the 2021–22 Conference League play-off round — a humiliating chapter in Celtic’s European campaign that season.
Postecoglou, well aware of the challenge ahead, dismissed any notion that Bodo/Glimt are simply a plucky underdog. “You’d love us to think you’re a small team we don’t rate,” he told a Norwegian journalist, sharply acknowledging the club’s impressive identity. He praised Bodo/Glimt for their tactical discipline, consistent philosophy, and stable structure — qualities that have made them a genuine force in European competition.
Indeed, Bodo/Glimt’s record speaks volumes. The club from the Arctic Circle has made their home ground, the Aspmyra Stadion, into a fortress. This season alone, they’ve won nine out of ten European home games, dating back to the Champions League qualifiers in July. Along the way, they’ve toppled European mainstays including Red Star Belgrade, Porto, Besiktas, Twente, Olympiakos, and Lazio. That list of casualties shows that the Norwegians are not to be taken lightly.
Olympiakos, the reigning Conference League champions, voiced their outrage over the artificial turf after a 3-0 defeat in the Round of 16. Lazio boss Marco Baroni, after his side fell 2-0 in the first leg of the quarter-final, also admitted the synthetic surface gave Bodo/Glimt a distinct advantage. “There was a lot of pace and sharpness in their short passing,” said Baroni. “It changes the tempo of the game.”
The legend of the Aspmyra pitch began to spread across Europe after Jose Mourinho’s Roma suffered a stunning 6-1 thrashing in 2021 — a night that announced Bodo/Glimt’s arrival on the continental stage. That shocking result, from a town with a population of just 55,000 — less than the capacity of Tottenham’s stadium — captured the imagination of football fans across Europe.
Postecoglou, reflecting on his own rise from the footballing margins of Australia, acknowledged the parallels between his journey and Bodo/Glimt’s rapid rise. “That’s the beauty of football,” he said. “It doesn’t matter where you’re from or how small your club is. If you have ambition and a clear plan, football can give you extraordinary opportunities. You can create moments that live forever.”
Founded in 1916, Bodo/Glimt have spent much of their history in the shadows, fluctuating between divisions and struggling for consistency. But since their promotion in 2018, they’ve become a model of modern football efficiency. Under the guidance of head coach Kjetil Knutsen, they’ve won three Norwegian league titles in five years, using a blend of tactical intelligence and data-driven recruitment to punch above their weight. Knutsen’s work has not gone unnoticed, with previous links to Brighton and recent reports connecting him to Leeds United.
“He really enjoys it here,” said the club’s technical director Havard Sakariassen. “He’s probably had a few serious offers, but he’s stayed loyal. If the day comes when he chooses to move on, we’d thank him at the airport. But for now, we believe he’ll be with us a while longer.”
Even so, Bodo/Glimt travel to North London weakened. Three key players are suspended: captain Patrick Berg, midfield linchpin Hakon Evjen, and forward Andreas Helmersen. Meanwhile, attacker Ole Didrik Blomberg and defender Odin Bjortuft are injury doubts after their most recent domestic match against KFUM Oslo. Despite these absences, Postecoglou insists that his team cannot afford to let their guard down.
For Spurs, this first leg presents a crucial opportunity to seize control of the tie. They failed to do so at this stage in their quarter-final clash with Eintracht Frankfurt, drawing the home leg and needing a gritty 1-0 away win in Germany to progress. Postecoglou wants his side to start stronger this time.
Ahead of the match, both he and midfielder James Maddison acknowledged the strange duality Tottenham are experiencing — a dismal domestic season contrasted by a golden shot at European silverware. Spurs are clinging to the hope of ending their 40-plus-year wait for a European trophy, even while enduring humiliating Premier League defeats, such as the 5-1 drubbing by Liverpool just days earlier.
“It was embarrassing,” Maddison admitted of the Liverpool performance, adding that while squad rotation and fatigue are factors, so is the desire to keep players fresh for Europe. Many in the squad are still regaining full fitness after injuries or have been overworked during a tough winter schedule.
Postecoglou remains focused and refuses to be derailed by domestic failures. He believes in the bigger picture — in the importance of living in the present and chasing history while the chance is still alive.
“How often do you get into this position?” he asked. “History tells us not very often. Even for clubs stronger than ours, getting to a European final is rare. Ask any Spurs fan what they care about most right now — next season, or the chance to lift a trophy in Europe — and I think you’ll get your answer. We’re all about the now, and that’s exactly where my focus is.”