– I didn’t think so. It had sounded far too unrealistic. Ulrik Saltnes smiles when news asks what he would have thought if he had found out in 2018 where Bodø/Glimt as a club would be in 2023. That time, in Kjetil Knutsen’s first year as head coach, the yellow jerseys ended up in an anonymous 11th place in the Eliteserien and was a club few outside Nordland paid much attention to. A lot has, to say the least, happened since then. JOIN THE JOURNEY: Ulrik Saltnes has experienced both good and bad years in Glimt. Photo: Mats Torbergsen / NTB This year they won the Eliteserien in superior fashion. The club has become league champion three of the last four seasons. On Saturday, they can secure a rare double triumph if they beat Molde in the cup final. In Serieligaen, they have already progressed from the group stage with one game remaining. – I think it has been a very good season, Saltnes replies. No one should accuse him of practicing the art of exaggeration. “Now it’s collapsing” But the fact is that Glimt has become a major power in Norwegian football. It is time for people to realize that the yellow jerseys are not a 24-hour fly, believes the 31-year-old. – I guess more or less, every year since 2019, I’ve heard people say that “now it’s collapsing”. It is probably only now that the outside world is starting to gain some faith in us over time, says the Glimt ring fox. The Sovereigns: Glimt could once again cheer for a well-deserved league gold in 2023. Photo: Mats Torbergsen / NTB The mastermind behind it all, success coach Kjetil Knutsen, is into much the same as his midfielder. – It is very often noted when Glimt is in a bad period. But it is when the time of reckoning has come, that is when you show who has been the most stable team, he says to news. – And there is Glimt, we decided the series three rounds to the end, we have taken 70 points, which is incredibly strong, and then we are in a cup final, and that is an incredibly inspiring thing to be in, adds Knutsen. – What would you have said if you found out in 2018 where you would be in 2023? – I hope I had said the same, that everything is possible in this life. It is a basic rule for me that you should always do your very, very best. But I guess no one saw that we would have such a wonderful journey as we have had. So I am very humbled by that, and incredibly happy that I have been allowed to take part in it, says Knutsen. GOOD TIMES: General manager Frode Thomassen and Bodø/Glimt’s coach Kjetil Knutsen have had a lot of fun in recent years. More than the former dared to hope. Photo: Mats Torbergsen / NTB “Glimt will never become series champion” At Glimt’s annual meeting in 2018, general manager Frode Thomassen put it bluntly: “Glimt will never become series champion”. Today, he looks back on the statement with pleasure. In fact, he often uses it even when giving lectures. – It was about where we were at the time. I think that many people think that there is a connection between the resources you have and what you manage to create. I believe that Glimt has become an inspiration for other clubs. It’s about the people and the way you work. When you work the way we do, there are no limits. We live in a time where we believe that everything is possible, he says to news today. SUCCESS: Kjetil Knutsen has been at the forefront of Glimt’s success in recent years. Photo: Francisco Seco / AP – Completely extreme Even though Ulrik Saltnes in his wildest fantasies had not thought it would go as well as it has, there were clear signs already after Knutsen’s debut season in 2018 that this could turn out well in the end. – If I remember correctly, we set a new record for the number of drawn games in 2018 (14). We saw that, with very small moves, we could tip a lot of those games in our favor. And that is what happened. We didn’t see the success that has come, but we did see that there were great opportunities, says Saltnes. Fredrik Bjørkan is a Glimt boy at heart. He finds it surreal to be part of the journey his childhood club has had over the past five years. About the season they are about to deliver, he uses bigger words than Saltnes. But neither can the left-back be accused of exaggerating. – It is absolutely extreme. If we finish in the amazing way, then it’s one of the best things we’ve ever done. And anyway, it’s been a great season. It’s incredibly fun to be part of, quite simply, he says to news. Knutsen: – I never have a gut feeling. An intense and exciting cup final awaits on Saturday against a Molde team that has to win if they are to get a place in the European cups next season. This is how Kjetil Knutsen responds to how the gut feeling is before Saturday’s thriller. – I never have a gut feeling. Many people ask me about it, but I don’t listen to it. I think it is extremely important that we work on what we can do something about, and that prepares us well. That way, the gut feeling will be as good as it can be, but it’s the day-to-day work that matters for how ready you are for a fight. – Do you feel that you are big favourites? – I don’t think we should underestimate Molde’s hunger going into this game, because it is their opportunity to go to Europe in 2024. It is as close to 50/50 as it is possible to get, he says. Listen to Heia Fotball’s cup final special here: Kick-off on Saturday is 16.00. Watch the cup final between Molde and Bodø/Glimt on Saturday on NRK1 or listen to the match on news Sport on the radio. This is how the cup final affects the European places of Norwegian teams If Glimt beats Molde in the cup final: 1st place Eliteserien (Glimt): Champions League qualification 2nd place Eliteserien (Brann): Europa League qualification 3rd place Eliteserien (Tromsø): Serie league qualification 4th place Eliteserien ( Viking): Series league qualification If Molde beats Glimt in the cup final: 1st place Eliteserien (Glimt): Champions league qualification 2nd place Eliteserien (Brann): Series league qualification 3rd place Eliteserien (Tromsø): Series league qualification 4th place Eliteserien (Viking): No place in European games 5th place Eliteserien (Molde): Europa League qualifier Johannes Kaste, developer of the website Fotcalc.com, which is devoted to making it easier to follow the coefficient of Norwegian and foreign club teams and the prize money each team reaps from play in Europe, believes it is best for Norwegian football if Molde wins the final. This is because the chances are greater that Norwegian football’s so-called coefficient increases with Molde’s participation. – The coefficient is important for Norwegian football because it determines the quota of how many European places Norwegian football will have. It also governs which rounds the clubs start their qualification in. The higher Norwegian football is ranked, the easier it is for our clubs to achieve good results. Molde will be seeded in more qualifying rounds than Tromsø/Brann/Viking because Molde has far more of its own coefficient points than them. Coefficient points are also what determine the seeding in most qualifying rounds. Therefore, Molde will face easier opposition than any of the other three clubs, says Kaste to news. Norwegian football is currently in 15th place in this ranking. The position at the end of the season (around May 2024) determines our European places for the Eliteserien/Cup 2024. All European quotas can be found by following this link. – There you can see that 15th place is considerably better than 16th place. Therefore, it is very beneficial for Norwegian football if we manage to stay within the top 15 until the end of the season, Kaste points out.
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– Every year I have heard “now it is collapsing” – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcasting schedule
