Interview: The arctic miracle – How Bodø/Glimt is redefining success in European football
IMAGO | Two of the key figures behind FK Bodø/Glimt’s recent success are chief executive officer Frode Thomasson (R) and director of football Håvard Sakariassen (L).
Located 200 km north of the Arctic Circle, the Norwegian city of Bodø is home to a football club which has seen an extraordinary rise in recent years.
In an exclusive interview its CEO Frode Thomasson explains how this success has been achieved without significant financial investment or reliance on UEFA competition money.
Why it matters: The club was named Europe's third most financially sustainable club by Off The Pitch and has shown how geographical challenges haven’t impaired its success.
The perspective: Thomasson emphasised the club's community role, noting that about 15 per cent of Bodø's population attends its games. The club's focus is on being a point of pride and identity for the local community.
23 August 2023 - 3:30 PM
200 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle, in a remote Norwegian conurbation of 55,000 that is ten hours drive from its nearest city and closer to Russia than it is Oslo, lies one of European football’s great success stories.
Until a few years ago, Bodø was a place best known for its cod industry and for being one of the best places to view the aurora borealis. But then, around five years ago, an earthquake happened at its hitherto unheralded football club, Bodø/Glimt.
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