Football Season Guide

Bodø/Glimt pulled off yet another stunning feat last season as they managed to back up their first ever league title with a second the following year, an achievement that is even more impressive given the level of expectation and the fact that they lost some key players. It solidified Kjetil Knutsen's status as by far the best coach in Norway and probably one of the most impressive and coveted coaches from any European league apart from the Big 5. The fact that he is staying on with Bodø this season shows just how much he trusts the club and values the work that has been done there. Bodø indeed have already been in competitive action since late February as their dream run in Europe continued with wins over Celtic and AZ Alkmaar, securing a spot in the quarter-finals of the Europa Conference League. Based on these performances, the team again looks like the main title favourite as their level has hardly dropped despite losing skipper Patrick Berg, defensive starlwart Marius Lode and main striker Erik Botheim. Once again, Bodø have invested smartly in replacements from the domestic league as Brince Wembangomo, Runar Espejord and Japhet Serry Larsen look like very promising signings and they look well integrated into the system that Knutsen has. Anders Konradsen is a more interesting signing as he is an established player coming from a direct rival in Rosenborg and, if he stays fit, he could well become Berg's replacement in the middle of the park. Having a fit-again Victor Boniface again after a year on the sidelines ensures that Espejord has real competition up front as well. Therefore, the small club from the Northern edge of Norway looks once again the team to beat and, as long as they stay relatively injury-free, they look very hard to stop as their fairytale tun looks set to continue.