Latest news with #AspmyraStadium
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Dominic Solanke silences Bodø and books Tottenham's ticket to Bilbao
Who are you and what have you done with Ange Postecoglou? There was a messy goal from a set piece, another from a mishit cross, a plan with pragmatism at its core and a team able to find beauty in the kind of ugly performance that has so often left Postecoglou cold. All the cool came from Tottenham Hotspur in the Arctic Circle. They were robust rather than flimsy on the infamous plastic pitch at the Aspmyra Stadium, serious rather than spectacular, and they did not mind turning this Europa League semi-final against punchy, determined Bodo/Glimt into a grind. Postecoglou, the manager with supposedly no clue how to kill a game, came up trumps. Spurs were dogged, streetwise and smart in unpleasant conditions in northern Norway and, after a season of such strife in the Premier League, their reward is an all-English final against Manchester United later this month. Related: Europa League win for Tottenham would be 'massive', says Ange Postecoglou Europe remains a sanctuary for Postecoglou's team. They have been erratic and chaotic domestically but they have summoned resilience in this competition. Bodø/Glimt never had hope of a comeback. Kjetil Knutsen's side were outmuscled by stronger, sharper opponents. Spurs rose to the challenge, goals from Dominic Solanke and Pedro Porro enough for them to win 2-0 on the night and 5-1 on aggregate. Adversity has brought out the best in them. Postecoglou has been ridiculed this season but vindication is within reach for the Spurs manager, even if there is rising speculation that the Australian will be sacked even if he secures Champions League qualification by beating United in Bilbao. Maybe this will be a healing moment, though. There were joyous scenes at full time, the Spurs players surging across the pitch to celebrate with the 404 hardy souls in the away end, and there is a chance that the memories created by this run could repair Postecoglou's relationship with the fanbase. Who knows how much winning a trophy could change this troubled club's self-image? Plenty of people, after all, had tipped them to mess up this tie. Even the locals thought that Spurs had not built up a big enough lead in the first leg. This remote, windswept Arctic outpost had never experienced anything quite this momentous before. The sprinklers were on long before kick-off, drenching a surface already designed to play quickly. The rain fell too, heightening the sense that this place is designed to trip up unsuspecting visitors. It was easy to see why Porto, Besiktaş, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Twente, Olympiakos and Lazio had already left this quirky little ground empty-handed this season. Buoyed by the return of the influential duo of Patrick Berg and Håkon Evjen from suspension in midfield, Bodø/Glimt believed a 3-1 deficit would be wiped out. Reality soon intruded on the fairytale. Spurs were first to settle, with Richarlison causing problems for Fredrik Sjøvold on the left, and were closing to pulling clear when Porro almost curled a free-kick past Nikita Haikin in the ninth minute. Knutsen admitted that Spurs were in charge from the start. Postecolgou was delighted with his side's pressing. It was six years to the day since Spurs pulled off their miraculous comeback against Ajax in the semi-finals of the Champions League but this was more sedate. Richarlison continued to threaten, Solanke's hold-up play was impressive and there was an escape for the hosts when Destiny Udogie failed to find anyone after sneaking through on the left. Calm and professional, Spurs were using the ball well, even with injuries stripping their midfield of the poise offered by James Maddison and Lucas Bergvall. Dejan Kulusveski, Maddison's replacement, disrupted Bodø/Glimt's attempts to play out from the back. Yves Bissouma and Rodrigo Bentancur mopped up in front of the back four. The only misstep came when Brennan Johnson picked up a booking for a clumsy challenge. Bodø/Glimt were too frantic. Ole Didrik Blomberg fired into the side-netting and Berg forced Guglielmo Vicario to tip a free-kick over but there was not much to worry Spurs before half-time. The curious thing is that Postecoglou has not hesitated to dispense with his idealistic approach in Europe. Spurs have sat back and been more direct against continental opposition, particularly on their travels. Ruggedness was a prominent feature of their quarter-final win over Eintracht Frankfurt and they did a similar job on Bodø/Glimt. It was not long before Maurizio Mariano, the Italian referee, was warning Vicario about timewasting before a goal-kick. Spurs, 16th in the league, were unperturbed. Diligent and disciplined, they led in the 64th minute. Mathys Tel, who had just replaced Richarlison, delivered a corner, Cristian Romero won the first header and Solanke bundled the ball in from close range. Bodø/Glimt, the first Norwegian side to go this far in Europe, knew it was a lost cause. The second goal soon arrived, Porro's cross catching Haikin out of position. Postecoglou's promise about always winning a trophy in his second season looks increasingly convincing.
CNA
08-05-2025
- Sport
- CNA
Tottenham ease past Bodo/Glimt to reach Europa League final
BODO, Norway :Tottenham Hotspur avoided any mishaps in the Arctic Circle by easing into the Europa League final with a composed 2-0 win at Norway's Bodo/Glimt for a 5-1 aggregate victory on Thursday. Ange Postecoglou's side never looked like relinquishing the lead they established last week in north London and goals by Dominic Solanke and Pedro Porro midway through the second half snuffed out any hope of a Bodo/Glimt comeback. Despite a woeful Premier League campaign, Tottenham will now have the opportunity to win their first trophy since 2008 when they face their English rivals Manchester United in Bilbao on May 21. Solanke, who also scored in the first leg, scrambled in a Cristian Romero header in the 63rd minute and Porro then deceived home keeper Nikita Haikin with a cross that looped in to spark celebrations from the few hundred away fans. With Bodo/Glimt boasting a formidable record on the artificial surface at their Aspmyra Stadium, home fans arrived believing their team could turn around the tie and become the first Norwegian side to reach a European final.
Daily Mail
08-05-2025
- Climate
- Daily Mail
Tottenham's trip to the Arctic Circle: Why Spurs fear a giant-killing in town of 40,000 where fans are trading tickets for fish and reindeer meat
Having secured a 3-1 lead in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final against Bodo/Glimt, many would make Tottenham clear favourites to progress past their Norwegian opponents and take a major step towards silverware. There are some, however, who are fearing Ange Postecoglou 's side could become the latest to suffer a giant killing on a unique trip into the Arctic Circle. In 10 home ties in this European campaign, which started in July in the Champions League qualifiers, the Norwegian champions have won nine. This has included victories against established clubs such as Lazio, Olympiacos, Twente, Besiktas and Red Star. Three years ago, they beat Roma 6-1 after knocking out Postecoglou's Celtic. Part of their success in Europe, where they have won 28 of their last 34 home games, has been put down to the artificial surface at the 8,270-capacity Aspmyra Stadium in the Norwegian fishing town. 'We are a good football team first and foremost. Like most teams, we are better at home than away,' said Bodo/Glimt boss Kjetil Knutsen. 'The grass we have is what we play on. It's due to the climate. And the more you play on it the better you get. At home, over time, we have learned to trust in ourselves. It's a good pitch and good players can easily adapt.' Despite struggling on a artificial pitch in an FA Cup third round tie at non-league Tamworth in January, Postecoglou's side opted to only train on a plastic surface on Wednesday at the Norwegian side's stadium. Tottenham do look set to benefit from warmer weather conditions than many of the sides to have fallen to Bodo/Glimt so far in Europe. Sub-zero temperatures had led to snow needing to be cleared in the build-up to their quarter-final tie against Lazio last month. However, the temperature is expected to be around 5C by kick-off time, although Spurs may have to tackle windy conditions due to the town's location on the coast. While the conditions might be more hospitable, some locals made an attempt to create some unease for their Premier League visitors by setting off fireworks outside the Tottenham hotel at around 2.37am. 'The perpetrators were observed running from the scene,' a police statement read. 'When the police arrived they found several rocket batteries. Some were not lit. 'These were taken by the police, in order to maintain peace and order.' With the fishing town of Bodo, located around 1,000 kilometres north of the capital Olso, having a population of around 40,000 the club's rise over recent years has been remarkable. Ulrik Saltnes, who scored their crucial late goal in the first leg, claimed earlier this year that the club was effectively semi-professional when he signed in 2011 but is now run like an elite outfit. Having been relegated to the second tier in 2017, the club bounced back the following year before emerging as Norway's dominant force by claiming the domestic title in 2020, 2021, 2023 and 2024. The appointment of a former Norwegian Air Force pilot, Bjørn Mannsverk, as a mental coach in 2017 was reportedly a key moment. Mannsverk told the Associated Press his role was to help players talk openly about their feelings and reduce stress levels, having found the the squad suffered from 'a collective mental breakdown' in matches during their relegation season. Mannsverk, whose duties in the Norwegian air force took him to Afghanistan after the 9/11 attacks and to Libya for a NATO-led intervention in 2011, explained his squadron had been subject to a mental training project in 2010 where the focus was on meditation and 'every day repeating boring stuff, but with 100 per cent attention.' The training reportedly helped them perform dangerous missions in Libya, with his squadron's mantra of 'train as you intend to fight' working. 'Even though I got strong feelings when my first bombs hit the target and it was in infernal flames and fragments and everything,' Mannsverk said. 'It was like, "My training said that it´s OK, this is happening, recognize that, but know I have to return and do my job."' Mannsverk would move across to Bodo/Glimt to help improve the team's 'mental conditioning', with members of the club's leadership coming across the squadron due the town until recently being home to a NATO air base. Mannsverk's techniques - which include meditation, one-on-one sessions and group meetings - were said to have helped Saltnes overcome stress-related stomach issues that flared up around matches, with the midfielder having previously considered retiring. As the club have enjoyed domestic success and have made strides in Europe in recent years, they have also sought to make an impact away from the football pitch. Since 2019, the club have had a project titled Action Now which has attempted to raise awareness of key issues such as climate change and promote sustainable practices. All members of the club are involved in the project, with the club's academy teams - down to their under-13s - choosing specific sustainability goals to support each season. Activities have included clearing up beaches and raising awareness of reducing the amount of plastic in the oceans. The club have had Action Now featured on their kits, which the club state have been produced by Puma with sustainable materials. Given the appetite to watch the semi-final, locals have been battling in any way they can to secure tickets for Thursday night's match, with some selling fish and reindeer meat in order to get a seat. Torbjorn Eide, a production boss at a fish farm in Torsken, told Norway's state broadcaster NRK that he offered five kilograms of semi-fried boknafisk for a ticket. The haul of fish, worth around £181, managed to tempt a fellow fan into giving up their seat. 'We produce Norway's best bokna fish, and it may not be possible to get it in Bodo city (which is eight hours away). So I thought maybe someone would like it, Eide said. 'You know, those of us who work in fishing are often creative. I didn't really think it would work, but then a guy showed up who wanted to try boknafisk.' Boknafish, which is typically cod, is partially dried in the cold outdoors and is a traditional dish in northern Norway. Oystein Aanes, who bought the fish, told NRK: 'It was just a funny thing. The ticket was actually for my brother, who was supposed to travel from Oslo, but he didn't make it anyway. 'I've never bought bokna fish before, I don't even know how to prepare it. The fish is for my mother, so she can take care of it.' Another fan, Nils Erik Oskal, was inspired by the fish trade so thought he would try his luck with reindeer meat. 'I was number 40,000 in the queue or something. I had some extra meat to spare,' he told NRK. 'I thought it must be possible to do it with reindeer meat. Someone was munching on it. It didn't take long. It wasn't a cheap ticket considering what reindeer meat usually costs. But it's really the same thing, I get to experience something great.' Fans will look to cheer on Bodo/Glimt players with giant yellow toothbrushes, which became a tradition association with the club back in the 1970s For those lucky enough to get a ticket, the likelihood is they will be waving one a giant yellow toothbrush, something that has been a tradition at the club since the 1970s. The tradition emerged after the country's biggest dental company Jordan offered fans a sponsorship, after spotting how fan leaders had used toothbrushes to conduct singing. Bodo/Glimt typically give a normal sized yellow toothbrush to the visiting team's captain ahead of matches. In the absence of Son Heung-min due to injury, that honour looks set to fall to Cristian Romero. Tottenham will be hoping it will be a token on a successful journey to Bilbao, while Bodo/Glimt aim to make it the last prized possession Spurs receive in the competition this year.
Daily Mail
07-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Bodo/Glimt's artificial surface will give Ange Postecoglou cause for caution, writes MATT BARLOW as Tottenham gear up for their crucial Europa League semi-final second leg in Norway
The green rectangle of plastic grass glistened with no hint of the demons said to be lurking within and the Bodo/Glimt players fizzed passes about on a surface slick with Arctic drizzle. Around them, workers were busy adorning the Aspmyra Stadium with the final trimmings for its biggest night, fixing UEFA branding in the appropriate areas and running TV cables around the simple stands. Beyond that, the stillness of a Norwegian fishing town where day broke at 3am, the calls of the gulls, the rumble of a tractor spreading rubber crumb over an artificial training pitch and the occasional fighter jet tearing through the sky on a training exercise. Little else stirred in Bodo as Tottenham descended. The Champions League determined its two finalists amid the trembling passion of the San Siro and Parc des Princes. There will be 80,000 inside Old Trafford willing Manchester United to beat Athletic Bilbao. Here, the anticipation came with a little Scandinavian understatement. With yellow flags on display outside buildings, fluttering from lampposts, on display in the windows of shops and porches. 'It is a historic football match and we want the main role,' said Bodo/Glimt boss Kjetil Knutsen. His team trail 3-1 after the first leg but a late goal in London fuelled hope and they have faith in the Aspmyra with its League Two vibe and capacity of 8,000. 'We are at home, we have the town behind us,' Knutsen added. Midfielder Jens Petter Hauge, who joined AC Milan from Bodo in 2020 and won the Europa League with Eintracht Frankfurt before returning to his hometown club last year, said: 'No matter where you go or who you meet, in the garage or the mall, everyone is looking forward to it and everyone says they've tried to get tickets and it's impossible.' Tottenham dominated last week and were worth their lead, despite disparaging post-match comments from Bodo right-back Fredrik Sjovold who claimed the Premier League team's attempts to press them into mistakes were 'ræva', meaning 'very bad' in its most polite translation, and that he had played against better in Norwegian football. Knutsen brushed it aside, putting it down to Sjovold's 'inexperience' and yet it has become a talking point in Norway, where there is a feeling that Ange Postecoglou's team were nothing special and are now without James Maddison, ruled out for three months with a knee injury he suffered in the first leg. Bodo, with key players including captain Patrick Berg back from suspension, believe they are not out of this tie, especially if they score first in the Aspmyra, where the home record is so formidable. In 10 home ties in this European campaign, which started in July in the Champions League qualifiers, the Norwegian champions have won nine, including victories against established clubs such as Lazio, Olympiacos, Twente, Besiktas and Red Star. Three years ago, they beat Roma 6-1 after knocking out Postecoglou's Celtic. The artificial pitch has been criticised, and Knutsen hit back, saying: 'We are a good football team first and foremost. Like most teams, we are better at home than away. The grass we have is what we play on. It's due to the climate. And the more you play on it the better you get. At home, over time, we have learned to trust in ourselves. It's a good pitch and good players can easily adapt.' The last time Tottenham played on an artificial pitch was in the FA Cup at Tamworth, when they needed extra-time to see off fifth-tier opposition, and Postecoglou opted against using artificial surfaces at the training ground before travelling to Norway, claiming there was little point because they were all different. Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, who didn't play at Tamworth, said it was probably five years since he played on one, but nobody appeared too perturbed as they trained in Bodo last night. The story behind Bodo/Glimt's name Bodo is the name of the town in northern Norway and Glimt means flash. When they were formed in 1916 they were simply known as Glimt but added the Bodo in the middle of the 20th Century because another team had the same nickname. Originally, they used a dash between the words but changed it to the unique forward slash because the dash led to confusion when the fixtures were printed on the pools. Since their rise to international prominence after winning their first Norwegian title in 2020, Bodo/Glimt has become one of the most recognisable names in European football. 'It's obviously different,' said Postecoglou. 'Whether it's the pitch, the atmosphere, the conditions, there's always challenges to overcome it, and we'll do that.' Spurs can take comfort from the victory at Eintracht Frankfurt in the quarter final and the knowledge they are inching closer to a first major trophy since 2008, and a ticket to rejoin Europe's elite. And Postecoglou was undeterred by former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger, now FIFA's chief of global football development, who claimed the Europa League winners should not go into the Champions League as they have for the last 10 years. 'Spurs does crazy things to people,' scoffed Postecoglou. 'Put that club into any sentence and invariably they all come out and try to diminish us as much as they can. Why wasn't it an issue before but it is now? 'Last year, fifth didn't get you into the Champions League and now it does. What does that mean? There are competition rules and it's not the first year. I've got great respect for Arsene, he's one of the legends of the game but Spurs does crazy things to people, I love it.'
