Bodo/Glimt revels in historic run to Europa semifinals

PARIS — Bodo/Glimt's historic run to the semifinals of this season's Europa League has not happened by chance. It's a remarkable success story that has been years in the making.

On Thursday, the club from just north of the Arctic Circle will become the first Norwegian team to play in the semifinals of a major European competition when it takes on Tottenham Hotspur in the first leg of their last four tie.

It is a stunning achievement for a side from a town with a population of barely 50,000 and situated almost 1,200 kilometers, or 16 hours by road, north of Norway's capital Oslo.