Bodo/Glimt manager Kjell Knutsen and one of the club’s players have now backtracked on the comments made by Fredrik Sjovold about Tottenham last week, with the pair insisting that the defender misspoke.
One look at Bodo/Glimt’s formidable home record proves that Tottenham Hotspur still have plenty of work to do to progress to the Europa League final, even though they carry a two-goal lead to Norway.
The war of words between the two sets of players has been very interesting over recent days. Jostein Gunderson blasted Dejan Kulusevski for his comments about the artificial pitch, but that was not even the most interesting exchange.
That came a couple of days ago when defender Fredrik Sjovold insisted that Tottenham would collapse in Norway, and remarked that Bodo/Glimt can easily play out from the Spurs’ press.
Bodo/Glimt manager Kjell Knutsen has now admitted that Sjovold’s comments were not well thought out and put it down to a lack of experience.
When asked about the defender’s fighting words, Knutsen responded (via TV2): “I think it was a slightly inexperienced player who didn’t mean it exactly like that. We have to put it down to inexperience. I really trust the internal justice in the player group.
“I don’t think he has completely escaped a small comment about it. There is something about being in the media and gaining experience in the international arena. It is part of learning.”
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Meanwhile, winger Jens Petter Hauge suggested that his teammate’s comments were twisted out of context by the media.
He said about Knutsen’s controversial remarks: “I think he himself realised that it came out very wrong. What he said and is trying to say is not that bad, but we who have done a lot of interviews know how you journalists twist and turn things. It is stupid to give you that opportunity.”
Fredrik Sjovold has simplified Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham team talk
There is no doubt that Postecoglou will let the Tottenham players know before the game what Sjovold said to get his players up for the occasion.
The Norwegian right-back was very specific and pointed in his criticism of Spurs, and it sounded like something that has been discussed internally at Bodo/Glimt.
The 21-year-old made an error by voicing it to the media, and Spurs fans will be hoping that their side makes the defender eat his words in the second leg.