Bodo/Glimt's Champions League run sparks debate over domestic postponements

March 10 : Bodo/Glimt's superb Champions League run has drawn global praise but left their domestic rivals frustrated after several of their Norwegian league matches were postponed to accommodate the club's European schedule.

The club from north of the Arctic Circle have enjoyed a stellar run in Europe's elite club competition, sneaking into the playoffs with stunning victories over Manchester City and Atletico Madrid before knocking out last season's finalists Inter Milan with a 5-2 aggregate victory to reach the last 16.

Glimt's European success, however, has created logistical and scheduling challenges ahead of the new Norwegian season.

The Norwegian league campaign begins this weekend, but with Glimt facing Portuguese side Sporting in the Champions League last 16, their opening two domestic fixtures against Sarpsborg 08 and HamKam have been postponed with no new dates set.  

Glimt host Sporting in the first leg on Wednesday, with the return fixture next Tuesday.  

The decision to postpone their opening league matches has sparked debate over how much the domestic schedule should adapt to help Norwegian clubs compete in Europe, with many other major European leagues not postponing weekend fixtures to give their sides time to prepare for midweek matches.

"It has become a bit much," Zlatko Tripic, who captained Viking to the league title ahead of Glimt last season, told broadcaster TV2. "I am not a big fan of it, to be honest."

The Viking skipper said he understood the challenges of balancing domestic and European commitments but warned against giving priority to one club. "We cannot take such extreme consideration for Glimt," he said. 

"It creates confusion in the schedule and I hope we can avoid that in the future," he added,