"Bodo/Glimt must be the most romantic story in European football in decades. If they reach the Champions League quarter-finals this week it would be a fairytale up there with Jose Mourinho's Porto winning it in 2004. Just this one is forged in ice rather than hot-blooded knee slides."
"The value of Bodo's largely local squad may be less than Manchester City paid for Erling Haaland, yet the Norwegians count the 10-time English champions among a reel of recent scalps that also includes Atletico Madrid, Inter Milan and Sporting."
"Como 1907 may well boast the richest owners in Italian football but they are hardly steeped in Serie A heritage. Whether through investment, savvy recruitment or the ability to build a brand off their iconic lakeside location, they have risen from the fourth tier less than a decade ago to contending for a Champions League spot."
Bodo/Glimt, a Norwegian club from the Arctic fjords, has emerged as one of European football's most compelling underdog stories. Built largely from local talent valued less than Manchester City paid for Erling Haaland, they have defeated major European powers including Manchester City, Atletico Madrid, Inter Milan, and Sporting. Their potential Champions League quarter-final qualification would rank among football's greatest fairytales. Beyond Bodo/Glimt, European football features multiple overachieving clubs this season that have exceeded expectations. Como 1907 exemplifies this trend, rising from Italy's fourth tier to contend for Champions League qualification within a decade, playing innovative football under coach Cesc Fabregas.
Read at www.bbc.com
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