March 10 : Bodo/Glimt’s superb Champions League run has drawn global praise but left their domestic rivals frustrated after several of their Norwegian league matches were postponed to accommodate the club’s European schedule.
The club from north of the Arctic Circle have enjoyed a stellar run in Europe’s elite club competition, sneaking into the playoffs with stunning victories over Manchester City and Atletico Madrid before knocking out last season’s finalists Inter Milan with a 5-2 aggregate victory to reach the last 16.
Glimt’s European success, however, has created logistical and scheduling challenges ahead of the new Norwegian season.
The Norwegian league campaign begins this weekend, but with Glimt facing Portuguese side Sporting in the Champions League last 16, their opening two domestic fixtures against Sarpsborg 08 and HamKam have been postponed with no new dates set.
Glimt host Sporting in the first leg on Wednesday, with the return fixture next Tuesday.
The decision to postpone their opening league matches has sparked debate over how much the domestic schedule should adapt to help Norwegian clubs compete in Europe, with many other major European leagues not postponing weekend fixtures to give their sides time to prepare for midweek matches.
“It has become a bit much,” Zlatko Tripic, who captained Viking to the league title ahead of Glimt last season, told broadcaster TV2. “I am not a big fan of it, to be honest.”
The Viking skipper said he understood the challenges of balancing domestic and European commitments but warned against giving priority to one club. “We cannot take such extreme consideration for Glimt,” he said.
“It creates confusion in the schedule and I hope we can avoid that in the future,” he added, suggesting the Norwegian league could instead start its season earlier in March to avoid congestion later in the campaign.
The discussion intensified after Glimt advanced in the Norwegian Cup recently, a result likely to force further league postponements.
IRRITATED SUPPORTERS
Supporters have voiced growing frustration about the disruptions. Ole Kristian Sandvik, chairman and spokesperson for the Norwegian Supporters Alliance, criticised the handling of the schedule.
Sandvik said clubs playing in Europe should be able to cope with a heavier match load and warned that postponements create major problems for travelling supporters.
“It is very simple to play two matches a week instead of postponing games,” Sandvik told TV2 earlier in the week. “Some accommodation for clubs in Europe is acceptable, but you cannot start postponing matches once the league phase is underway.”
Sandvik also argued that postponements lead to an uneven league table, with teams having played different numbers of matches deep into the season.
He added that last-minute schedule changes make it difficult for supporters to plan travel.
“Flights and hotels cost money for supporters. When a match is scheduled for Saturday at 3 p.m., supporters need to be able to trust that it will actually be played then.”
