Europa Conference League Draw – Celtic to play Bodø Glimt, the Norwegian Champions

Celtic have today been drawn to play Norwegian Champions Bodø Glimt in the knock-out round of the new Europa Conference League.

The first leg will take place at Celtic Park on 17 February 2022 with the return match a week later on 24 February.

Bodø/Glimt are the reigning champions in Norway after winning 2021 Eliteserien. They also have won the now defunct Northern Norwegian Cup nine times, Norwegian Cup twice and finished second in the Norwegian top division in 1977, 1993, 2003 and 2019.

Glimt is known for the yellow kits and the huge yellow toothbrushes that the supporters carry to the matches — a supporter symbol from the 1970s. In the beginning of the 2000s, Bodø/Glimt was one of the top teams in Norway, but was relegated at the end of the 2005 season. After two years, on 12 November 2007, the team returned to the top division again, following a 4–2 aggregate victory over Odd Grenland in a promotion playoff.

Ahead of the 2020 season, Glimt had sold several key players, among them captain Ricardo Friedrich and Håkon Evjen, and was not considered among the title candidates. However, Glimt performed a record breaking season, winning 26 games and scoring 103 goals in 30 matches.

Bodø/Glimt won Eliteserien for the first time in history, also becoming the first team from Northern Norway to win Eliteserien. Again Kjetil Knutsen was named coach of the year. Philip Zinckernagel was named player of the year, having contributed 19 goals and 18 assists. Ahead of the 2021 season, Bodø/Glimt had sold their three front men Philip Zinckernagel, Jens Petter Hauge and Kasper Junker. These three players scored all together 60 goals and provided 35 assists in the 2020 season, and Glimt had not brought in clear replacements for these players.

Pundits were again skeptical to Glimts title chances, but again Glimt surprised everyone, and were crowned back-to-back league champions after a 3-0 victory to Mjøndalen in the last match of the season. Glimt had also succeeded in not only to qualify for the group stage of an European competition during the season, but also to advance from the group stage, beating Jose Mourinho’s AS Roma 6-1 at Aspmyra in the process!

🏆 We have been drawn against FK Bodø/Glimt in the @europacnfleague knockout round play-off. 🇳🇴#UECL | #COYBIG 🍀 pic.twitter.com/9OTZ9sbY3Y

— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) December 13, 2021