It probably sums up where Celtic are that, as soon as they crash out of the Europa League, a team like FK Bodø/Glimt are rising in the Champions League.
Thierry Henry lauded the efforts of Bodø/Glimt and how ‘nothing beats a team’, after they knocked out last season’s losing finalists, Inter, 5-2 on aggregate, including a 2-1 second leg win at the San Siro, and progressed to the last 16 of Europe’s elite competition for the first time in their history.
A lot has been said about Celtic’s lack of ambition in Europe, but Henry nailed it on the head when he stated that Bodø/Glimt’s efforts, and how they have gone about it, is a ‘lesson’ for one and all.
“We talk about money,” said Henry on CBS Sports. “We talk about names. Nothing beats a team. I don’t care what you say.”
Celtic were one of Bodø’s early victims when Ange Postecoglou was in charge, and since then, it has been night and day between the two in Europe, as this past week has illustrated.
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Thierry Henry lauds FK Bodø/Glimt’s rise in the Champions League
Yes, Celtic are a huge club on the global stage, and more well-known than Bodø, but they have to swim in the same waters and face similar issues when it comes to competing financially with the rest of Europe.
But when you look at the efforts Bodø put up in Europe over a long period, compared to Celtic, then it’s proof that you don’t need all the money in the world to just be competitive.
As Henry stated, Kjetil Knutsen’s side are a ‘proper team’, and it’s ‘very refreshing’ to see what they are doing.
“The story is outstanding,” said Henry. “We talk about money. We talk about names. Nothing beats a team. I don’t care what you say.
“Now, if you have money, names and a team, then you do Trebles. If you don’t have that. I don’t care about you. What they do is they attack and defend together, regardless of where they are. That’s a proper team.
“We should all remember that’s a team game. We always talk about it, that’s exactly what football should be about. That’s a lesson for everybody to watch. Kids. That’s a team.
“The best thing about what they did against Inter is what Hauge did. When he scored, he celebrated and then looked at his guy, I think it was Blomberg. One v one in the mistake of Akanji. He looked at him and said, ‘Why didn’t you pass the ball?’ You love it, but that’s the message.
“I loved to see a team like that. It’s very refreshing, in terms of this is how football should be. It doesn’t matter what the name is on the back. It’s about what you have in your heart. That’s what you see with Bodø/Glimt.”
Celtic and Bodø’s finances compared
Celtic were in Bodø’s situation last season, but the Hoops missed out on the last 16 stage after narrowly and agonisingly losing to Bayern Munich.
Either way, those Celtic fans who protest against the board will continue to use a team like Bodø as an example, because, even from a financial standpoint, they are behind the champions of Scotland.
- Celtic’s Annual Revenue: £130m (Source: Celtic PLC)
- Bodø/Glimt’s Annual Revenue: £28m (Source: Bodø Annual Rep.)
- Celtic’s Wage Bill: £70m (Interim Filings / UEFA Report)
- Bodø/Glimt’s Wage Bill: £9.5m (Interim Filings / UEFA Report)
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