You could excuse Erik Thorstvedt if he felt between a rock and a hard place as we face FK Bodo/Glimt in the semi-finals of the UEFA Europa League.
On one hand, this proud Norwegian - 97 caps for his country, starting goalkeeper at the 1994 World Cup – fully feels the romance of a Norwegian team reaching the last four of a major European competition.
But on the other hand, swap romance for love. Erik spent eight years at Spurs between 1988 and 1996 – as it turned out, the final years of his playing career, due to a back injury – and made 218 appearances alongside the likes of Gazza, Gary Lineker and Gary Mabbutt. In 1991, he became the first Norwegian to lift the FA Cup.
So, on the subject of a team from Norway vs Spurs, it was little surprise when he told us last week...
“Well, you don’t ditch your family even though there are some Norwegians coming! Look, Bodo/Glimt just getting to the semi-final, which has never happened in Norwegian football before, is incredible, and gives a huge sense of pride to Norwegians. If they made it to the final, it would be absolutely unreal. I hope Spurs win. It’s an opportunity, and I know how much Spurs fans would love to see the team lift that trophy in Bilbao. Now it’s about grabbing that opportunity.”
After a memorable first leg at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, we now take a 3-1 lead to Norway for the second leg on Thursday (8 May, 8pm UK), with a place in the final in Bilbao on 21 May up for grabs. It's only our third match against Norwegian teams in Europe - Lyn Oslo in 1972, Tromso in 2013 - and our first trip to Bodo, a town located just north of the Arctic Circle.
However, it's a place Erik knows well and, with only 400 tickets available at Bodo's Aspmyra Stadion, here's his insight into Bodo the town, the stadium and his thoughts on a club now making waves throughout Europa...
Erik on Bodo’s Aspmyra Stadium
“Well, it’s going to be a culture shock for Spurs fans coming to Bodo from Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The difference couldn’t be greater. They play on an artificial surface. I wouldn’t say the stadium is intimidating, but it’s different. It can be windy, rainy, you may even get snow in May, you never know! They are looking at building a new stadium, because this is like an antique. Spurs fans will get there and think, ‘honestly, is this a semi-final of the Europa League?’ but, for me, it still has that charm.”
Erik on Bodo/Glimt, the club
“I have to say what Bodo/Glimt have done football-wise is sensational. They were in the second tier in Norway in 2017, came back up again and since then, they have totally dominated Norwegian football. For me, it’s proof that if you do things well, you can still succeed in football with smaller resources. Okay, by Norwegian standards, they’ve become a mega club because they’ve made so much money from playing in Europe now for several seasons, and also, selling players for good money, again by Norwegian standards – often buying the same players back cheaper! I just think it’s a healthy sign that in football, a club can do well, work hard, put together a team that plays well together and it’s still possible to do something like this.”
Erik on Bodo/Glimt’s manager, Kjetil Knutsen
“Kjetil Knutsen is from Bergen, he’d been around in lower league football in Bergen for a few seasons without really having any great success, joined Bodo/Glimt initially as assistant coach then, after one season, he swapped with the coach, Aasmund Bjorkan, who became Sporting Director. What he’s done at Bodo/Glimt is absolutely amazing. He works 24 hours a day and pushes, pushes, pushes all the time. It’s about moderate gains. How can we improve? He pushes the club to get him better players all the time and the business formula is clearly working. By Norwegian standards, they pay quite a lot of money. They make sure they keep winning in Norway, and keep qualifying for Europe, and that makes the difference between them and the other Norwegian teams. Knutsen has had offers elsewhere, but wants to keep pushing this team further. He’s got good guys at the club, making good decisions, and they are an incredible collective.”