Bodo a beacon for Norwegian football after Europa League adventure

STOCKHOLM - Its do-or-die for the clubs remaining in the Europa League knockout phase playoffs this Thursday, but Norwegians Bodo/Glimt will once again be focusing on performance rather than the result as they continue their fairytale run in the competition.

Since the club made a conscious decision to prioritise an attacking, entertaining brand of football over individual results in 2018, they have won four Norwegian league titles in five years and thrashed Serie A side AS Roma 6-1 at home.

Everyone in the club is very happy when we win, everyone is thinking its crap when we lose, but either way, the thing is to put it behind you and look forward, and the players and the coaches here are really good at this, sporting director Orjan Berg told Reuters.

His club will be seeking to overturn a 2-1 deficit to reach the Europa League last 16 when they face Dutch side FC Twente in their second leg at home on Thursday.

However, Berg played down the importance of individual games and instead highlighted how the club was creating a sense of civic pride for northern Norway.

If someone from Bodo or north Norway went to Oslo in the 1970s, they had to change their accent - they couldnt speak with their own accent, because the people in Oslo would think, what is this? Berg explained.

With Bodo/Glimt winning the Norwegian Cup in 1975, it made the people feel more proud, it gave them more confidence and kind of changed the mentality in the north. So that was really, really important - and now were doing it in Europe.

Thanks to their European exploits, the club are attracting fans from far beyond Norways shores.

I think its because were kind of a fairytale club, you know - coming from above