They say that people from Scandinavia are among the happiest – and it also seems to be said for football players.
For Tottenham Face the friendliest club on the continent on Thursday in the semi -final of the Europa League.
The unlikely Run from Bodo/Glimt to the last four is powered by a number of players sold and then again signed at the collegial Norwegian outfit.
Vooruit Jens Petter Hauge, for example, discovered that the grass is not greener elsewhere compared to Bodo's plastic pitch when he first left for AC Milan in 2020.
Earlier this year he came back permanently to his hometown club, after a stint at Eintracht Frankfurt, who saw Spurs in the quarterfinals.
Those who return are satisfied to do this because of the pally atmosphere in the small club of the polar circle.
Sports director Havard Sakariassen, 48, explained: “We have some boys in our team, Patrick Berg, Frederik Andre Bjorkan, Jens Petter Hauge, Hakon Evjen, who has left us and tried the other side, go to European clubs.
“It in itself has a value in your life to be able to play at this level in your hometown, also with your friends.
“The culture in the club here is something they really enjoy.
“Of course we have become competitive in Scandinavia over the years with regard to salaries and its business part.
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“But I think it should be rare to be able to play football with your friends at this level everywhere in Europe and that has a value.”
Bodo/Glimt grabbed headlines by beating Jose Mourinho's Roma 6-1 in 2021.
Then they played a year later, also in the Europa League, Tottenham's Noord -London Rivals Arsenal, but lost both group matches without scoring a goal.
Since then they have developed considerably, against expectations in their relatively small resources compared to some of the clubs they have seen in Europe.
They have already defeated FC Twente, Besiktas, Olympiacos and Lazio this season.
Although they will certainly not be conceived by Spurs Chief Ange Postecoglou, whose Celtic side lost twice two years ago Bodo/Glimt in the Europa Conference League.
Sakarasses, who had two stints in the club as a player, added: “For us every game is learning and we have played many difficult games against good teams in Europe since we played Arsenal a few years ago.
“We have cracked some codes with regard to performance, especially gone.
The impact of manager
“To be more cynical, not to be naive to play against good teams in Europe.
“It might be a better team, but at the moment a better prepared Bodo/Glimt.”
Bodo/Glimt -Baas Kjetil Knutsen is an integral part behind the rise of the club, the management since 2018.
He has been linked to countless messages in recent years, including Leeds and Brighton.
Sakarasses is relaxed about the situation of his manager -while he does not read anything in Spurs' horrible competition form prior to the first -laying showdown in N17.
The Supremo added: “Of course Kjetil is an attractive coach, that's just the nature of what we do.
'We have all the tools'
“I know he likes being in Bodo, he likes to work in this club.
“If for some reason he decides to do something else, I think we should applaud and thank him at the airport.
“But I am not afraid of that at all, and I think we will work here for more years – but who knows.
“I don't think we're looking at the Tottenham competition. We know that we meet a good team, huge football players at a high, high level.
“But we also walk with confidence in this game that we believe that we believe that we can compete.
“I really believe that we have all the tools to be brave enough to go out in London and just be Bodo/Glimt.”