Bodo/Glimt, the Giant Killer from a Small Norwegian Town

On paper, Bodø/Glimt should not have had that opportunity. However, football is played on the green field, not on a sheet of paper.

Bodø/Glimt, a small club from Norway, has proven that miracles can happen. They successfully created one of the biggest surprises in the history of European football by eliminating Inter Milan from the Champions League.

What happened at San Siro on Wednesday (25/2/2026) early morning WIB is an anomaly that reminds us all why we fell in love with this sport from the very beginning.

Logically, the club from the city of Bodo cannot possibly defeat Inter. Inter is at the top of the Serie A standings this season, with a squad valued at 787 million US dollars according to Transfermarkt. In comparison, the Bodo/Glimt squad is valued at only 67 million US dollars, which means it is more than 11 times less.

Money can indeed determine many things, but not everything. Sometimes, the story of David and Goliath can be witnessed in this modern world, such as Bodo/Glimt eliminating Inter with an aggregate score of 5-2.

The difference between the two teams is like heaven and earth. Bodo/Glimt hails from the small Norwegian town of Bodo, located near the Arctic Circle, home to around 40,000 people. The entire population of the town could only fill a little over half of the San Siro Stadium, the home of Inter Milan. Meanwhile, Bodo/Glimt's home ground is a small stadium named Aspmyra, which has a capacity of only 8,270 spectators.

Inter is a giant force in Europe with 20 Serie A titles and three European championships, while Bodø/Glimt was still in the second division of Norway ten years ago. When Inter last won the Champions League, during their treble-winning season of 2009-2010, Bodø/Glimt could only finish sixth in the second division of the Norwegian League.

The victory of Bodo/Glimt is not merely a stroke of luck or a result of facing a struggling team. In fact, Inter is currently leading the Serie A standings with a 10-point advantage over its closest rival. Inter has also reached the Champions League final twice in the last three seasons.

This is Bodo's first season in the Champions League, having entered the league phase through qualification. It seems they will be eliminated immediately after failing to secure a victory in six matches, placing them at the 32nd position in the standings.

Knutsen's side needed to beat Manchester City and Atletico Madrid to have any chance of qualifying for the playoffs. Somehow, they managed to beat both European giants back-to-back to qualify for the playoffs against Inter. Could they pull off a third upset?

It turns out that nothing is impossible in football. Contrary to the expectations of many, Bodo/Glimt was able to eliminate Inter with relative ease. They defeated Inter in the first leg in Bodo with a score of 3-1, followed by a 2-1 victory in the second leg in Milan.

"Look at that extraordinary group. It feels like a dream and is incredible; I don't know what to say," said one of the goal scorers, Hakon Evjen, after the match in Milan. Team captain Patrick Berg added that it was "the biggest thing I have ever experienced throughout my career."

Knutsen finds it hard to believe what they have accomplished. "Can you believe it?" said Knutsen. "I truly cannot believe it. The players are simply extraordinary."

It should be emphasized that Bodo's success is not due to assistance from wealthy owners who pour their money into acquiring star players. Their success feels more substantial, beginning with the tactics and Knutsen's adherence to a high-intensity football philosophy.

The recruitment strategy involves not only finding players who fit that approach, but also identifying players with specific talents and factors the coach desires. "Every player we recruit has an X factor, whether this player has the specific X factor we're looking for," their former assistant coach, Morten Kalvenes, told The Athletic.

They also employed former fighter pilot Bjorn Mannsverk as a mental coach, who used his experience to train the players' minds. According to The Athletic, one of the concepts he implemented was called "the ring," where players would gather in a circle on the pitch after conceding a goal to discuss what went wrong.

"This is a journey. Many of us have been a part of this journey. There are so many people behind this project who have a very strong belief," said Knutsen.

In the round of 16 that will take place in mid-March, Bodo/Glimt will face Manchester City or Sporting Lisbon. Will they be able to create another surprise? (AP/REUTERS)