Where China meets the Arctic Circle, the edge of the earth and a Mediterranean island! This is the most unique season of the Champions League, featuring the northernmost, easternmost, westernmost, and one of the southernmost teams in the history of the tournament, informs the Telegram channel "Bomberдир".
After overcoming “Celtic,” Almaty’s “Kairat” became the easternmost club in Champions League history, which will now take place in Central Asia, even further than matches in some parts of China! There is a chance that the westernmost Champions League team from Portugal — “Sporting” or “Benfica” — will visit, traveling approximately 7,000 kilometers!
Another sensation from yesterday, “Paphos” from the island of Cyprus, became one of the southernmost points of the Champions League venues, but this status still belongs to “Maccabi” Tel Aviv (which, by the way, was defeated by “Paphos”).
The northernmost club ever to reach the group stage of the Champions League is now the Norwegian “Bodø/Glimt,” based above the Arctic Circle! By winning with an aggregate score of 6:2 against “Sturm,” the Norwegian champions ended an 18-year (!) wait for the entire country during which their clubs could not pass qualification:
❌2008: “Brann” (q.3)
❌2009: “Stabæk” (q.3)
❌2010: “Rosenborg” (play-off)
❌2011: “Rosenborg” (q.3)
❌2012: “Molde” (q.3)
❌2013: “Molde” (q.3)
❌2014: “Strømsgodset” (q.2)
❌2015: “Molde” (q.3)
❌2016: “Rosenborg” (q.3)
❌2017: “Rosenborg” (q.3)
❌2018: “Rosenborg” (q.2)
❌2019: “Rosenborg” (play-off)
❌2020: “Molde” (play-off)
❌2021: “Bodø/Glimt” (q.1)
❌2022: “Bodø/Glimt” (play-off)
❌2023: “Molde” (play-off)
❌2024: “Bodø/Glimt” (play-off)
❌2025: “Brann” (q.2)
✅2025: “Bodø/Glimt” (group stage)
