Bodø/Glimt's mental coach is a former army fighter pilot But this is not the only reason that makes it a unique football club

Bodø/Glimt is a football club that does things differently. They have to. They are one of the few clubs in the world located above the Arctic Circle, where winter conditions can be extreme and there are limited daylight hours. Their path to European football is not as straightforward as it can be for other European clubs. Yet they managed to reach the semi-finals of the UEFA Europa League in the 2024/25 season, having previously reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA Conference League in 2021/22, where they lost to the eventual winners, Roma. Last season, they also knocked Inter out of the Champions League, becoming the first Norwegian side to progress in a knockout stage tie in the competition since its rebrand in 1992. These great results have also had a positive impact on their financial performance. In 2017, the budget was €4.2 million. By 2024, revenue had reached €60 million, and the latest financial year (2024) was closed with a profit of €5.8 million, following a profit of €4.5 million in 2023.

It is a trend that never stops growing and which, in 2027, will mark a historic milestone for the club: the opening of the new stadium. The new arena is projected to have a capacity of 10,000 seats, and the name will likely be decided at the annual club members' meeting in two weeks' time, when a vote will be held. "In terms of technology - explains Frode Thomassen, CEO of Bodo/Glimt - we are going to ensure that visitors have a memorable experience. That's how we're thinking at the moment. We are working really hard to attract businesses that want to test new technology in our arena with a view to using it in larger venues in major European cities and around the world". His reference to technology points towards EDGE Case Ventures, a new data infrastructure designed to help the club develop its own technology rather than simply buying it. Through EDGE, start-ups and established companies can develop, validate and demonstrate products within the Bodø/Glimt ecosystem, while the club gains access to new technology, expertise and revenue streams.

Bjørn Mannsverk: From Fighter Pilot to Football Mental Coach

If that's not enough, here's another example of how Bodø/Glimt is run differently from any other club. They have a mental coach. You could argue that every football club has one nowadays, as do players. However, Bodø/Glimt were one of the first clubs to hire a mental coach in 2017, and theirs is unlike any other. His name is Bjørn Mannsverk, and he’s a former army fighter pilot. "We were in the second tier in Norway, and some of the players were struggling a bit when it came to playing. - Thomassen tell us recalling the eraly steps of the collaboration - They were really good in training, but they had some trouble in matches. The whole team was managed by the current sports director Håvard Sakariassen. As a coincidence he was sitting with some friends of his, who were talking about doing some work with F-16 fighter pilots in Bodø. We brought Bjorn in just to start working with one or two players, and it had a positive effect on them. The word spread around the changing room, and more and more players started working with him. Then we started setting up a system."

How Bodø/Glimt Builds Its Players' Mindset

Over the years, Mannsverk has become a key figure in the locker room. He does not have a daily role, but he steps in whenever the situation requires it, especially before or after big matches. For example, he will be in Naples for the club’s match at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium. He prefers one-to-one conversations with players to motivational speeches to the entire dressing room.“When you go into those individual conversations, it's on an individual basis. It's between Bjorn and each one of the players, but they can address it. Bjorn can talk to individuals, but we also start with the captain's team. We have ten captains in the teams, we sit down with them and ask how the group dynamic is. Are there any specific issues that we should address at this point? Should we talk to the coach? Should we take it to the whole group?".

"Every time Bjorn is here, I think there are specific elements that we talk about. Two weeks ago, for example, we were probably thinking about results quite a lot. 'Oh, we have to win this match.' So we just talk about that. You probably have that kind of thinking. Then it's out on the table, so there's nothing wrong with thinking about it, but you probably need to face it. ​​I think it's important to have the right mindset. Working with culture and values is the most important thing, as is talking about how we communicate with each other. If there's something we want to address, we do it directly. We don't just think about it. At this point, I think we probably work differently to other clubs because we are really into culture and values, and the way we think as a group. It's not just the place and the coaches who score for the whole club. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I got it. Just to follow up".

Frode Thomassen on the Club's Culture and Values

By now, you may have realised that Bodø/Glimt is not your average football club. But it's worth stating it one more time, in the words of Frode Thomassen: “I don't call Bjørn Mannsverk a mental coach. I call him a culture builder because this club is, in one way or another, about the mindset of people. With mindset come values, the way we think and work, so you could say that, in 2021, we established a kind of strategy. We started not setting goals, which was also part of a dialogue or discussion between Bjorn and me, the head coach. We stopped working with results and started focusing on performance, using our thoughts and ideas to find common ways of working or thinking about the challenges we face, with the aim of performing better. The most important thing is that you are not afraid of losing. Yes, you should be the best you can be. I think Bjorn is more like that in many ways. He talks to players and coaches, pinpointing themes that are relevant to the situation the team is in at the moment. We have also established something. I think it's totally different from what many other clubs do.”