Glimt finished 20 in style – VG

Going 3-0 against Viking in an advanced final round for the teams, Bodø / Glimt secured an unrivaled best record in Norwegian football history, a record that can only be broken.

It was a fitting setting for what was going to happen after the game: then successful coach Kjetil Knutsen, support staff and his team wore their most deserved gold medals around their necks, and captains duo Patrick Berg and Ulrik Saltnes with one arm each were able to lift the trophy for the league championship. As the Bodø sky exploded in fireworks.

– Done. Culture. Unit. The hungry, the driven, who is in us, that is the proudest, Knutsen tells Eurosport after the celebration.

It was also a colorful game on the pitch, and a goal from Sondre Brunstad Fet and two from top scorer Kasper Junker secured 15 wins from 15 home games in 2020, and at the same time a comfortable Bodø / Glimt victory. Depending on the games, the chances, the number of corners and the overall superiority should and could have been greater:

But Viking goalkeeper Iven Austbø was fine, Philip Zinckernagel, in his possibly last match in yellow, did not have the day. And then it will be worse, when the Dane with insane 37 scoring points in this year’s elite series is not caught. It is true that he had a ball in the net in the second half, but the Dane was on the wrong side and was correctly deflected offside.

No doubt the Dane was able to console himself with the award for player of the following year, awarded by Norsk Toppfotball. His teammate Ulrik Saltnes read the reasoning, gave the Dane a hug and “leaned into the dust” bowing reverently.

– Thanks to the teammates, the coaching staff, Kjetil and Aasmund. Without them, he would not have won. Thanks to the team, Zinckernagel responds to Eurosport on the live broadcast.

– Tonight – will there also be a farewell with the team?

– Good question. I have not made the decision now. I don’t know when I’ll do it, but it will be a difficult decision. I’m thankful for the time at Glimt, responds coveted gamer Bosman.

His disallowed goal was one of the relatively few dangerous situations that Glimt created in front of his opponent’s goal after the break. In the first half, however, Kjetil Knutsen’s swarm of yellow-black bees was on a fierce journey.

Then Viking had a maximum of three or four moves on the team, very often less than that, and the gold winner went through, stomped, bit, and spat again. The 2-0 goal was like a recap of the inning, and it came after one of Glimt’s ten corner kicks before the break. The corner itself was cleared, but Glimt hit just outside the Vikings’ 16 yards and recovered the ball.

For a few moves later, Zinckernagel had stomped the field, leaving the ball to Ulrik Saltnes, who fired, but Iven Austbø in full motion was stopped. But first on the ball was Kasper Junker, the most terrifying on the field, and then the game was decided in the 21st minute.

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During the break, Viking coach Bjarne Berntsen had to switch to 4-5-1 and have more players in midfield. It helped somewhat, Glimt partially slowed down and didn’t create as many opportunities. But Junker embellished the result when he finished a classic Glimt reel just before the end.

Substitute Hugo Vetlesen passed Zinckernagel, who passed Ola Solbakken, who pushed on scorer Junker.

– That’s what characterizes the team here, Junker tells Eurosport afterward, aiming for Solbakken to shoot himself but instead gave away the goal to help his teammate towards the title of top scorer.

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Immediately after Junker’s 27th full blow of the season, the final signal was, and then the Glimt players immediately donned gold caps and gold jerseys (number 20) and began the celebration.

Marius Lode danced in gold shoes, “Bodø / Glimt before forever” and “We are the Champions” blared from the speakers, almost as loud as the 600 fans had sung for 90 minutes during the golden party in Aspmyra.

– We have come a long way in the club. Most of the players, except Philip, have contracts. There are many dreams ahead in 2021. I bet the train will continue on its way. At least that’s the ambition, says Kjetil Knutsen when asked about Glimt, unlike previous league champions like Brann (2007), Stabæk (2008) and Strømsgodset (2013) can win multiple times.

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