Kjetil Knutsen has dismissed Inter’s complaints about the condition of Bodo/Glimt’s artificial turf ahead of the second leg of the Champions League play-off match. He said his team is also unfamiliar with the San Siro pitch.
Bodo/Glimt have one foot in the last 16 of the UEFA competition after a stunning 3-1 win in last week’s first leg in Norway.
Sondre Brunstad Fet, Jens Petter Hauge and Kasper Hogh were on target as Bodo became the first Norwegian team to win a match in the knockout stages of the Champions League.
And after victories over Manchester City and Atletico Madrid in the league stage, Bodo could now become the first team from outside Europe’s top five leagues to win four games in a row in a European Cup/Champions League campaign against teams from those competitions since Ajax in 1971-72, who won the trophy that season.
But before the teams took to the pitch last Wednesday, Inter complained to UEFA about the artificial pitch at the Aspmyra Stadium, and Nerazzurri captain Lautaro Martinez suffered a calf injury in the second half that will sideline him for several weeks.
But when asked about Inter’s complaints at Monday’s pre-match press conference, Knutsen said: “I can’t do anything about it. We just have to concentrate on what we can control.”
“City haven’t even mentioned the pitch, and we’re not used to the San Siro pitch either. I’ll keep the focus on something else.”
“For me it is not smart to talk about other contexts that have nothing to do with football, but what others do is not important to me.
“Concentrating on surfaces, the cold, on other things… it is not wise if you want to perform well.”
Bodo was one of the main stories of this season’s Champions League and could become the first Norwegian side to leave a knockout stage draw in Europe’s top club competition since Lillestrom defeated Linfield in the 1987/88 European Cup (First Round).
Former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp described Bodo’s performances as ‘crazy’ earlier this week, and Knutsen named him one of his biggest coaching inspirations.
“It is a path we have chosen and it is about many things. It is a clear identity. It requires hard training, that you work functionally and with high intensity on the field as often as possible,” Knutsen said of Bodo’s action-oriented style.
“The rhythm of the match will always be decisive in that respect. It is inspired by many, including Klopp and Liverpool, who we seem to reflect in many ways.”
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