Football Season Guide

Bodø/Glimt were pushed all the way and may well have come out second best but they showed their championship mettle when it really mattered to pip the excellent Brann and claim the title, their fourth in five seasons, and thus continue their unprecedented period of domination in Norwegian football. Sadly for their rivals, very little seems to have changed at the start of this season and Bodø look as well-positioned and as dominant as they have ever been as they embark on another campaign. Their squad has only gotten better with the signing of Ole Blomberg while none of the key, indispensable performers have left. Kjetil Knutsen remains stubbornly loyal to the club as well, despite still being linked with massive clubs across Europe. There is very little evidence that anyone can seriously challenge Bodø at the moment and it is very hard to indeed given that they have players of the calibre of Patrick Berg, Jens Petter Hauge, Frederik Bjørkan and Håkon Evjen in the side. The main question mark is whether they retain that inner hunger and determination to keep open going and keep setting the pace at the top, with the focus now firmly on the Europa League, where they are in the final stages and may make history in the coming couple of months. Yet in terms of domestic football, they have no peers at the moment and it would take a brave man to bet against them getting their hands on the trophy again.