´We´re not used to San Siro either´ – Knutsen rejects Inter´s complaints over Bodo pitch

Kjetil Knutsen has rejected Inter’s complaints over the state of Bodo/Glimt’s artificial surface ahead of the second leg of their Champions League play-off tie, saying his team are also unfamiliar with the San Siro pitch.

Bodo/Glimt have one foot in the last 16 of UEFA’s flagship competition after a stunning 3-1 victory in last week’s first leg in Norway.

Sondre Brunstad Fet, Jens Petter Hauge and Kasper Hogh were on target as Bodo became the first Norwegian team to win a match in the Champions League knockout stages.

And, following victories over Manchester City and Atletico Madrid in the league phase, Bodo could now become the first team from outside of Europe’s top five leagues to win four straight games in a European Cup/Champions League campaign against teams from those leagues since Ajax in 1971-72, who won the trophy that season.

But even before the teams took to the field last Wednesday, Inter complained to UEFA about the artificial pitch at Aspmyra Stadion, and the Nerazzurri’s captain Lautaro Martinez suffered a calf injury in the second half that will sideline him for several weeks.

But when asked about Inter’s complaints at Monday’s pre-match press conference, Knutsen said: “There’s nothing I can do about it. We must only focus on what we can control.

“City didn’t even mention the pitch, and we are not used to the San Siro turf, either. I keep the focus on something else.

“To me, it’s not smart to talk about other contexts that don’t concern football, but what others do is not important to me.

“Focusing on surfaces, the cold, on other things… it’s very not wise if you want to produce good performances.”

Bodo have been one of the headline stories of this season’s Champions League and could become the first Norwegian side to progress from a knockout-stage tie in Europe’s top-tier club competition since Lillestrom beat Linfield in the 1987-88 European Cup (round one).

Former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp described Bodo’s performances as “crazy” earlier this week, and Knutsen cited him as one of his biggest coaching inspirations.

“It’s a path we’ve chosen to take, and it’s about a lot of things. It is a clear identity. It requires tough training, that you work on the field functionally and at high intensity as often as you can,” Knutsen said of Bodo’s all-action style.

“Also, the rhythm of the match will always be decisive in that regard. It is inspired by many, including Klopp and Liverpool, who we look to mirror in many ways.”