“‘Completely Unforgivable!’ – Furious Bodø/Glimt Boss Explodes After Tottenham Humiliation
Knutsen Slams Bodø/Glimt’s Early Mistake in 3-1 Defeat to Tottenham
Bodø/Glimt manager Kjetil Knutsen expressed his frustration after his team suffered a 3-1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final, citing their early lapse as “unforgivable.”
Speaking to TV 2 following the match, Knutsen didn’t hold back in his criticism after his side conceded just 40 seconds into the game. Brennan Johnson gave Spurs the early lead, and the Norwegian side never fully recovered.
Tottenham went on to dominate the first half, with James Maddison doubling the lead in the 34th minute and Dominic Solanke adding a third in the 61st. Bodø/Glimt’s Ulrik Saltnes pulled one back in the 83rd minute, but it served only as a late consolation.
Knutsen was particularly disappointed with the slow start, saying:
“Conceding after just 40 seconds puts us in a very difficult position once again. It’s completely unforgivable.”
He noted Tottenham’s own reaction after conceding, explaining that it visibly deflated them and arguing his team should have capitalized on their momentum late in the game:
“We should’ve pushed for a second goal. Still, we can take energy from parts of our performance into the second leg.”
The second leg will take place in Norway at Aspmyra Stadium, where Bodø/Glimt play on artificial turf—a surface that has often troubled visiting teams. Knutsen is hopeful this factor can play to their advantage.
“There’s a clear difference between playing on grass and artificial turf,” Knutsen said. “On grass, we need to be tighter in duels to come out on top. We lost too many of those today, and that frustrates me. We also gave the ball away far too often—technically, we need to be better.”
Despite the deficit, Knutsen remains optimistic:
“We’re not the favourites, but we still have a chance. Things will be different at Aspmyra. We just have to go for it.”
