Celtic forward Sebastian Tounekti has urged his club to draw inspiration from Norwegian side Bodø/Glimt, encouraging them to remain faithful to their style of play in pursuit of European success.
Bodø/Glimt have become one of the most remarkable success stories in European football in recent years. The club have just qualified for the Champions League for the first time in their history, marking yet another milestone in their rise. Their achievements include reaching the semi-final of the Europa League last season, where they were eventually eliminated by Tottenham, but only after demonstrating the strength of their identity and philosophy.
The Norwegian champions are renowned for being a formidable opponent at home, where their style of football often overwhelms visitors. They also carry that confidence and attacking approach into away fixtures, making them a difficult side to face regardless of venue.
Celtic’s European Challenge
Celtic, by contrast, has continued to struggle when competing outside of Scotland. This season, they failed to progress into the league phase of the Champions League and will instead focus their attention on the Europa League. While the competition offers a fresh opportunity to compete on the continental stage, success will be far from guaranteed, given the quality of opposition they are likely to encounter.
Tounekti, who began his career with Bodø/Glimt, believes the secret to success lies in maintaining identity rather than adapting too heavily to opponents. As quoted by the Daily Record, he explained: “The secret is to be ourselves, to not change. If we meet Roma, or someone else, we just have to be ourselves. We have to play our style of football. Bodo has shown it is possible to go far.”
Lessons from Bodø/Glimt
For Celtic, the lesson is clear: consistency of approach and trust in their philosophy could be the key to achieving more sustained progress in Europe. Bodø/Glimt have proved that even without the financial strength of Europe’s biggest clubs, dedication to a distinct style can deliver results against formidable opponents.
If Celtic can follow that example, they may yet transform their European fortunes and show that identity and persistence can yield long-term rewards. Tounekti’s words highlight the importance of patience, belief and faith in a system, qualities that could eventually help Celtic replicate the kind of success that Bodø/Glimt have enjoyed in recent seasons.
