Bode Shining CEO: This is the first Champions League match north of the Arctic Circle. We have 200,000 people in the entire region

September 30th News Bode Shine CEO Frod Thomason was interviewed and talked about the club's construction issue.

"This is the first time since 2007 that a Norwegian team has entered the Champions League," Thomason confirmed. "As a club, we have been in the European Championship for the past five or six years, but this is our first time in the Champions League. We have entered the play-offs twice, but this year we finally succeeded.

"I think this will also be the first time the Champions League is held north of the Arctic Circle. It’s special to be part of this event because we come from a very small city. There are about 50,000 residents here and 200,000 people in the entire area. It takes 10 hours to drive south to a larger city, and so does north, so we are in a remote location. This is a big moment for Norwegian football, especially for clubs, cities and the region as a whole. "

"We say we are not restricted, but in a sense the infrastructure does restrict us," he admitted. "Our stadium is small, old, and the rooms are small. The gym is under the stands and it is quite cold in winter. The player passage is also very narrow. I don't think there have been smaller stadiums in the history of the Champions League.

"We need a new stadium. The plan is to hope to start construction in 14 days or three weeks. We are working hard to reach this stage, and the plan is to complete the construction in the spring of 2027 and then play the first game there in the fall of that year.

"We are based on values ​​and culture. We truly believe in the human factor. It's not only about what level of players they are, but also about what kind of people they are and whether they can blend together. Having the same way of thinking is probably the most important thing. We borrowed a famous saying from the British Rowing Association - 'Can this make the boat faster? '. If you join our club, everything you do will come with a question: 'Can this make Bodo Grint better? '.

"It's about focusing on the present, injecting energy and positive thinking into the team. We never talk about winning or outcomes. We always talk about performance and how to improve. "