It’s a quirk of timing, or perhaps the universe’s way of mocking Tottenham Hotspur, that Harry Kane has finally ended his long wait for silverware in the same month Spurs could, at long last, end theirs.
Kane, that most reliable of goalscorers, now has something tangible to show for his labours – a Bundesliga shield, as much a reward for loyalty as for leaving when he did. The irony, of course, is unmistakable. A man who could not win a trophy in 14 years at Tottenham now has one without kicking a ball for Bayern Munich, thanks to Bayer Leverkusen's draw against Freiburg on Sunday.
And while Kane collects his long-overdue medal in Munich, Spurs are staring down the barrel of a Europa League semi-final second leg in Bodo – a fixture that feels as though it was dreamt up by a mischievous footballing god with a taste for the absurd.
Yes, Tottenham hold a 3-1 lead, but this is Spurs. Leads are illusions, and history does not ride quietly in the back seat. Neither does the Arctic wind.
Thursday’s trip to Bodo/Glimt is no gimme. Ulrik Saltnes’ late penalty in the first leg didn’t just trim the deficit – it lit a match under a tie that had started to look like a formality. Now Spurs must survive 90 minutes (or more) on a surface they don’t trust, in a stadium that looks more Conference South than Europa League, against a side that has made a habit of embarrassing those with larger wage bills and loftier reputations.
Ask Celtic – specifically, Postecoglou’s Celtic – about that. The current Spurs boss has already suffered at the hands of Kjetil Knutsen’s yellow-shirted insurgents, losing both legs of the tie in 2022 with little more than frostbite and regret to show for it. If anyone in the Tottenham dugout understands the perils of underestimating Bodo, it’s him.
Then there’s the pitch. The artificial surface at the Aspmyra Stadion isn’t just unfamiliar – it’s a leveller. One that suits Bodo’s style, their pressing, and their pace. The elements help too. It may be May, but in Bodo, that means wind, rain, and maybe snow, if the weather feels cheeky.
"It’s going to be a culture shock for Spurs fans coming to Bodo from Tottenham Hotspur Stadium," warned former Norway goalkeeper Erik Thorstvedt, who spent eight years in North London and was part of the Tottenham side that won the 1991 FA Cup.
"The difference couldn’t be greater. They play on an artificial surface. I wouldn’t say the stadium is intimidating, but it’s different. It can be windy, rainy, you may even get snow in May, you never know!" he told the club's website.
"They are looking at building a new stadium, because this is like an antique. Spurs fans will get there and think, ‘honestly, is this a semi-final of the Europa League?’ but, for me, it still has that charm.”
Overturning Tottenham's lead is by no means beyond Knutsen's side. Already this season they have beaten Porto, Braga, Besiktas, FC Twente, Olympiacos and Lazio at home. The disparity between theirs and Tottenham's playing budget is as wide as the journey from Bodo to Oslo – the Norwegian capital – 1,200 kilometres, as the crow flies. Taking the scalp of Spurs and becoming the first Norwegian club to reach a major European final is all the incentive needed.
Bodo were poor in the first leg but welcome back from suspension Patrick Berg as well as Hakon Evjen and Andreas Helmersen.
The Berg name is royalty at Bodo and the return of their influential captain will be welcomed by Knutsen. Bodo surrendered the midfield battle to the tenacious Rodrigo Bentancur and Yves Bissouma too easily in North London and will need to make the artificial pitch at Aspmyra as inhospitable as the weather – the forecast is for rain with temperatures at 6ºC – if they are to claw their way back.
Spurs, meanwhile, must make do without the services of creator-in-chief James Maddison. The midfielder scored a stunning goal against Bodo in the first leg but a knee injury picked up against the Norwegians saw him withdrawn midway through the second half of that game and he failed to see out Sunday's 1-1 draw against West Ham United with the same problem. He is expected to miss the rest of the season, ruling him out of the May 21 final should Spurs get there.
With Son Heung-min also a major doubt, the news over Dominic Solanke's availability is more encouraging, with Postecoglou confident the England striker will lead the line against Bodo after being rested against West Ham after picking up a knock in the first leg.
Spurs have not reached a major European final since 2019 when they met Liverpool in the Uefa Champions League decider. To get there they needed a 41-minute miracle from Lucas Moura. The Brazilian scored the winning goal – his third of the match – in the sixth minute of injury time to see off Ajax 3-2 in Amsterdam to see Spurs progress on away goals.
And yet, there’s a sense this campaign matters more. Despite Spurs' struggles domestically, there’s belief in their forays to foreign lands. And if they can weather this storm – literal and metaphorical – they’ll have earned a final in Bilbao and the chance to end the silence that has echoed around their trophy cabinet since 2008.
Kane has his medal. Spurs may yet get theirs. But only if they remember that Europe never gifts anything easily – especially not in the Arctic Circle.
