Why Bodo/Glimt miracle worker might appeal to Celtic

Norwegian boss Kjetil Knutsen guided Bodo/Glimt to their first league title

Such was the success of Ange Postecoglou's Celtic tenure, one European result seemed to slip by the wayside during a two-year spell of domestic dominance.

In February 2022, a heavily-rotated Celtic team were knocked out of the inaugural Conference League at Bodo/Glimt's 8,000-capacity home ground, a 2-0 loss sealing a humbling 5-1 aggregate exit.

After a 3-1 defeat at Celtic Park in the first leg of the knockout play-off, Postecoglou appeared to prioritise his debut campaign in the Scottish Premiership.

The Australian would go on to win that 2021-22 league title, one of his five domestic honours in 24 months in Glasgow.

However, the man who orchestrated Postecoglou's early European exit was proving he could dominate at home while overachieving on the continent.

For that reason and more, Celtic's board have reportedly been attracted to Kjetil Knutsen, who is working miracles in Norway amid a period of unprecedented success at Glimt.

The 57-year-old is said to be on a shortlist with Wilfried Nancy of Columbus Crew and Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna to replace Brendan Rodgers, but what is the story behind his remarkable rise?

Domestic dominance & overachieving in Europe

The story of Knutsen and Glimt is not influenced by being bankrolled. The club's turnover in the year they won their first league title in 2020 was less than the fee Celtic reportedly paid for Arne Engels.

Their stadium is smaller than Livingston's. You could fit Bodo's population of about 50,000 into Celtic Park.

Yet they played in a Europa League semi-final last season, losing to Postecoglou's eventual winners Tottenham, becoming the first side from Norway to reach the last four of a major European competition.

They have won four of the past five Norwegian titles, finishing second in the outlier.

They are currently in the hunt for a fifth top-tier crown, a point off the top with two games of their campaign remaining, while playing in the league phase of the Champions League for the first time.

In some ways, they are everything Celtic fans want their club to be: dominant domestically, overachieving in Europe, thriving academy, sell big and sign smart.

The remarkable rise of the past five years has been overseen by Knutsen. He did not have a playing career and started his coaching journey in Norway's fifth tier at TIL Hovding.

Spells at Fyllingsdalen and Asane followed before he was promoted from assistant at Glimt in 2018, just a year after they were promoted back to the top flight.

Roma, Besiktas, Porto and Lazio are among the scalps Knutsen has claimed in his six years managing in Uefa competitions, with a Conference League quarter-final, Europa League semi-final and Champions League qualification achieved.

Domestically, a win percentage of 68% in the past five seasons has won Glimt the only four titles of their 109-year history.

They have outscored every team in their division and averaged the most possession in four of those five seasons.

Defensively, they have conceded the fewest goals in three of them. This term, no other team in the league has won the ball back in the final third more often.

The numbers suggest this is a manager who can implement a possession-based style that brings intensity, goals and, crucially, results.

Would Knutsen leave Glimt for Celtic?

While the Parkhead hierarchy were searching for a replacement for Postecoglou in the summer of 2023, former Celtic striker Harald Brattbakk said fellow Norwegian Knutsen had "all the qualifications to become a success" in Glasgow.

His stock has only risen in the two years since, with links to the Premier League becoming more frequent.

Some have questioned why Knutsen, whose contract is set to expire at the end of Glimt's current campaign, is yet to take that next step.

"It depends on the conditions he would work under, and he's in no hurry to leave," Brattbakk added back in 2023.

How Knutsen would handle a leap to a club with far bigger expectancy and stature is a question that would come with a potential move to Parkhead.

He is a man who has become used to speculation and was asked again about his future at the weekend amid Celtic's reported interest.

"Nothing is certain in life," he responded. "I'm here now and I'm happy. It is hopeless to answer about other clubs.

"I answer as I always do - it should be something that is more exciting than Glimt."

Following the end of their league campaign later this month, Glimt still have four Champions League fixtures against Juventus, Borussia Dortmund, Manchester City and Atletico Madrid to look forward to over the winter.

That certainly sounds pretty exciting. Whether a potential move to Glasgow would appeal more remains to be seen.