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Bodø / Glimt player Marius Lode believes that Norwegians do not need to travel abroad to enjoy football. Now he comes with an appeal to those who criticize Norwegian football.
BODØ (Nettavisen): Bodø / Glimt have had a record season in 2020. In 17 matches in the Eliteserien, they have won 15 matches and scored an incredible 62 goals. Kjetil Knutsen’s team leads the series with 13 points less than Molde in second place. Many believe it takes almost a miracle for them not to win their first league gold of all time.
And with such impressive achievements, it also draws a lot of attention. Bodø / Glimt midfielder Marius Lode believes that the interest of yellow-clad players in Norway is good, despite competing with the enormous interest of Norwegian football fans in the Premier League.
– It is clear that the Premier League is a huge brand, but I also feel that Norwegian football has come out of this well here and that Norwegian football builds a brand to the end. The fact that we, as a club, have managed to spark the interest we have this year, I think it will help to build the Norwegian brand and the football we represent, he says at the press conference prior to the Europa League qualifying match against the Zalgiris Vilnius, which is broadcast live on Nettavisen. .
The online newspaper Direktesport lists Bodø / Glimt in the Europa League rankings. Access here
– Thinking the grass is greener on the other side
He doesn’t think the Norwegians’ strong interest in the Premier League will destroy Norway’s interest, but he admits that he thinks Norwegians think they have to travel abroad for fun.
– Now it’s a bit like we Norwegians think the grass is greener on the other side and we think we have to travel far to have fun, but we often hear that when people have made the trip to watch a game in the local area and then receive a positive experience themselves. So we can only do what we can to help create more interest. The Premier League will be here and the Elite Series will be here, and then it will just be a matter of whether we can deliver our best here, says Lode.
Thursday LIVE 18.00: Bodø / Glimt – Zalgiris Vilnius in the Europa League
His teammate Morten Konradsen also believes that interest in Norwegian football has been good this year and points out that local football plays an important role.
– I think the interest in Glimt and the Elite Series has seemed good, although there was no audience present. I also believe that football in Norway has an important role for the local players and the local environment. We can only hope the Premier League doesn’t take too much of that cake there, he says.
Clear call
Then Lode takes the floor and gives an example that the success of Bodø / Glimt may have led to a change.
– I realized that someone had passed by the football field here and I said that now it would be Jens Petter Hauge, Philip Zinckernagel and Patrick Berg, and not Messi and Ronaldo. So it’s a step in the right direction, says the midfielder.
Direktesport online newspaper: Watch Bodø / Glimt’s Europa League qualifying match against Zalgiris Vilnius
And for critics of Norwegian football, Marius Lode has a clear appeal.
– They can come to the stadium and watch a football game before sitting at home and saying that things are always better elsewhere.
RETURN: Morten Konradsen returns for Bodø / Glimt against Zalgiris Vilnius after a long injury break.
Photo: Mats Torbergsen (NTB scanpix)
His teammate Konradsen believes that the entertainment that Norwegian football offers should be reason enough to choose Norwegian football over foreign football.
– I’d say it’s very good entertainment. Especially we this year have been very entertaining, thinks the 24-year-old.
Return of Konradsen
On Thursday night, Bodø / Glimt will face Zalgiris Vilnius in the Europa League qualifier in Aspmyra. There, Morten Konradsen will return from the start after a long injury hiatus. This was confirmed by Glimt’s coach, Kjetil Knutsen, at the press conference the day before the game.
– I am fit to fight, was the midfielder’s comment about the comeback.
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Thursday’s winner Bodø / Glimt’s qualifying match likely awaits AC Milan at the mighty San Siro. Knutsen doesn’t think the dream of a match against the Italian superpower has affected the players’ focus in the slightly more affordable match against Zalgiris Vilnius.
– No. The group we have now is incredibly good at concentrating. They proved it in the fight against Odd. We know what it takes to possibly gain new experiences and new experiences in Europe. I would be very surprised if the boys weren’t ready for battle, he says.
If Bodø / Glimt make it to the Europa League, there is a lot of money in the pot. It may mean a lot to Bodø / Glimt, but it’s not something Knutsen focuses on.
– There are many things that are important in terms of building a club. Finance is one of them. We had a great year in 2019, which generated good income, both in terms of series placement and player sales. That base is important to continue developing the club. It’s not my focus or the players’, we focus on what is needed every day to improve and develop both individual players and teams, says the Bodø / Glimt coach.
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