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Louise Thomas

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Several Bodo/Glimt players usually enjoy a leisurely stroll to the stadium before matches, but when the Europa League comes around, they gather 220 meters away from the ground to hop on a bus.

Uefa rules require the Norwegian team to make a 30-second journey from the offices of the state administrator, past their training pitch to Aspmyra Stadium.

“Uefa wants us to arrive together, that’s why we do it like this,” manager Truls Bjerke told Norwegian broadcaster NRK.

Several players live only a stone’s throw from the stadium.

“That’s fine. We get told that’s how it is, so we won’t waste any more energy on it. We’ll park there, jump on the bus, and get ready for the match,” winger Jens Petter Hauge said.

There are no rules about teams leaving together after games so the players can still take a gentle walk home.

Based inside the Arctic Circle, Bodo/Glimt pulled off another significant scalp in continental competition as they upset Porto in their opening fixture in the revamped league phase of the second-tier tournament.

A second half double from Hauge secured a 3-2 victory despite the dismissal of Isak Dybvik Maatta early in the second half.

The club thrashed eventual winners Roma 6-1 in their 2021/22 Europa Conference League campaign.

Reuters

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