CNN
—
It’s not often you meet your neighbors after traveling thousands of miles across a continent to watch a soccer match, but Bodø/Glimt is not your usual soccer team.
It was certainly the case for supporters of the Norwegian club on Thursday, as they traveled in their thousands from just north of the Arctic Circle to London to watch their team play the first leg of its Europa League semifinal against English Premier League side Tottenham.
As a city, Bodø is very different from London. In fact, the entire population could fit comfortably inside Tottenham’s new world-renowned stadium.
It’s perhaps unsurprising, then, that Bodø fans kept seeing familiar faces so far from home.
“Everyone knows each other, I’ve seen my neighbors just now,” Bodø/Glimt fan Leah Lathan told CNN Sports while waiting to enter the stadium on Thursday.
“Right now, football is really big for the city. Everyone is supporting all the games more than ever. It means a lot. It’s really exciting.”
Lathan was one of thousands to have been captivated by the team’s recent success.
She remembers how for decades the club would bounce between the lower divisions of Norwegian soccer, before eventually hitting a winning formula in recent seasons.
This year, for example, the team has already made history by becoming the first Norwegian side to reach the semifinals of a European competition.
Like Lathan, Vejre Vereide traveled from Norway to England with his wife and two children to watch the match. The family lives in a village close to Bodø and have all enjoyed watching the team “blossom” into a real force to be reckoned with.
“They are an interesting team, they are so offensive and have bloomed in Norway,” Vereide told CNN as his excited young daughter begged him to hurry up so she could get inside the stadium.
“They are big underdogs, so it’s so exciting to see them. They have such a great spirit.
“Of course, Norway is known for sports such as cross country skiing, but football is huge, it’s a global sport and we are so excited.”
The match against Tottenham was just the latest stop on a fairytale run which has seen Bodø/Glimt punch way above its weight. In its last game, the underdog knocked out Italian side Lazio and has pushed the likes of Manchester United to the limit earlier in the competition.
In truth, though, it received a dose of reality on Thursday.
Tottenham, with its array of superstar talent, was simply too strong and, buoyed on by boisterous home support, won the first leg comfortably 3-1.
But it was still an occasion to treasure for this Bodø/Glimt team and its loyal faithful.
Before the match, the Bodø players and staff got together in a pre-match huddle. Those in the inner sanctum smiled as captain Ulrik Saltnes gave his final speech to the squad before the game kicked off – they looked ready to cause an upset.
As the players broke from the huddle, the pocket of traveling fans in the far corner of the pitch exploded into applause.
The approximately 3,000 fans formed a sea of yellow – the color of the Bodø/Glimt home shirt – punctuated with flashes of Norway’s red-and-blue flag.
They enjoyed a party atmosphere all night, with scarves being waved over heads and small yellow balloons being thrown around. It was a party that barely stopped, even when the team conceded in under a minute.
It’s important to note, though, that these fans are not just here for the ride and neither are the players. Yes, Bodø/Glimt was the extreme underdog, but there was a belief it could still cause an almighty upset.
That dream was kept alive after captain Saltnes scored a goal in the 83rd minute. The ball looping into the back of the net was met with frenzied scenes from the traveling support and stunned Tottenham Hotspur Stadium into silence.
It was a reward for those fans who had made the long journey to watch their team play the biggest game in the club’s 108-year history, and it also offered a glimmer of hope, albeit slim, for the second leg.
At 3-0, this tie was all but over. At 3-1, you never know…
After all, Spurs still need to visit Bodø next week for the return fixture, and fans of the Norwegian club hope the unique experience could unsettle their opponent.
Bodø/Glimt’s home stadium, the Aspmyra Stadion, holds less than 10,000 fans, but supporters sit close to the pitch and create a hostile atmosphere for their opponents. Not only that, but the pitch is made from artificial grass, something that Tottenham’s players will not be used to.
“It is dark for a long period of time, it’s very cold. The winter lasts for quite a while. The town is really quite small, but it’s beautiful in the summer,” Lathan said, explaining what life is like in the small Norwegian city.
“I think the game in Bodø will be the deciding match. It’s so much better to have the final game at home.”
It’s a sentiment shared by Vereide, who said: “I think it’s going to be different for Tottenham to come to Bodø, to play in the Arctic. You never know about the weather, so it’s really exciting.”
The second leg tie will be played on Thursday, with Bodø/Glimt needing to score at least two goals to worry Tottenham.
It may be a tall order, but it is a challenge that Bodø/Glimt manager Kjetil Knutsen told reporters he is looking forward to, as his side aims to reach the Europa League final.
“With this score, we will have a full stadium (for the second leg) and we can go for it.”