The bizarre UEFA rule that forced Bodo/Glimt players to take a 30-second bus ride before their shock Europa League win against Porto

Before Bodo/Glimt claimed a shock Europa League win over Porto on Wednesday night, players were forced to endure a comically short 30-second bus ride to the ground due to an obscure UEFA rule. 

The side have made a splash in European competition in recent seasons and include a 6-1 thrashing of eventual 2022 Conference League champions Roma in their impressive resume. 

On Wednesday night, Bodo/Glimt, based in the Artic Circle, claimed another scalp when they defeated Portuguese giants Porto 3-2, despite playing with only 10 men for the majority of the second half. 

Jens Petter Hauge’s double helped Truls Bjerke’s side get their campaign off to the perfect start but their pre-match journey has subsequently shed light on a peculiar UEFA rule. 

Many Bodo/Glimt players live a short distance from the Aspmyra Stadion and often walk to the ground for matches but Europe’s top governing body requires the team to arrive together. 

As a result, the roster boarded a bus from the offices of the state administrator and completed a 30-second journey to their home ground. 

‘Uefa wants us to arrive together, that’s why we do it like this,’ Bjerke told Norwegian broadcaster NRK. ‘We get told that’s how it is, so we won’t waste any more energy on it. We’ll park there, jump on the bus, and get ready for the match.’

Mercifully, there are no such post-match requirements and the players were free to walk back to their homes at their leisure after the famous win. 

On Wednesday, Bodo/Glimt fought back after Samu Omorodion’s early opener to lead via goals from Kasper Hogh and Hauge.

The home side then had Isak Dybvik Maatta sent off in the 51st minute before Hauge added his second just after the hour. 

Despite the late onslaught from Porto, which led to a consolation from Deniz Gul, Vitor Bruno’s side were left with nothing to show for their much longer journey.