Chelsea owner Todd Boehly, who was at the forefront of bringing Strasbourg manager Liam Rosenior to Chelsea this spring, has been criticized for using the French club as a pure farm team. Liam Rosenior had success in France, but was a disaster in the Premier League, after four months it was over in April.
Todd Boehly has been personally involved in ensuring that the French big club gets a manager who can lift them out in Europe, while at the same time he has put the BlueCo consortium’s lawyers at UEFA to weaken restrictions for clubs with joint ownership from competing in European competitions.
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One way Strasbourg will get the best manager and players is to greatly increase the salary budget. If Kjetil Knutsen gets the job, he will be one of the 50 highest paid football managers (see list below) with a salary of between 3.5 and 4 million euros. Knutsen must also be bought out from Bodø/Glimt as he has a contract until 2029.
Kjetil Knutsen in talks with French big club – in the middle of World Cup fever
Nothing lasts forever, but it still feels strange. Kjetil Knutsen, who like Ståle Solbakken has created Norwegian football history we will never forget, could be on his way out of Bodø/Glimt.
Bodø/Glimt’s ravages on the continent in the Champions League last season have opened the eyes of sporting directors all over Europe. Knutsen has been cautiously mentioned in connection with several Championship clubs in recent years, but the interest has always been stranded due to a lack of will from Knutsen himself. Now, after almost ten years in the Norwegian football capital, it may be time for something new.
For my own part, I still believe that Knutsen would be an excellent choice as the new national team manager the day Solbakken chooses to move on.
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Casualties in Bodø/Glimt
Last season, Bodø/Glimt “gave” the Eliteserien gold to Viking, and this year they are also a little behind. The timing of a possible Knutsen exit is nevertheless strange. Just over a week ago, the news broke that Gaute Helstrup – who was seen as the crown prince of the club – is leaving to take over Allsvenskan club Malmö. Aasmund Bjørkan, who has been in Bodø/Glimt for decades as a player, coach, scout and more, is also leaving the club.
At the same time, Bodø/Glimt is a success story that is talked about a lot – not least because four Bodø locals are in the World Cup for Norway: Patrick Berg, Andreas Schjelderup, Fredrik Bjørkan and Jens Petter Hauge. All four could play England in the quarter-finals on Saturday.
Strasbourg on the horizon
According to the French newspaper L’Equipe, Knutsen is in advanced talks with Ligue 1 club Strasbourg. The club is owned by the same group as Chelsea, and has had Knutsen on the radar before. Now the 57-year-old is said to be one of the final candidates to replace Gary O’Neil, who recently left the club for Ipswich – newcomer to the Premier League.
Strasbourg is also considering former Columbus and Celtic coach Wilfried Nancy as an alternative. The club finished eighth in Ligue 1 this season – and with Knutsen at the helm, they hope for a boost.
The goal in Ligue 1 is the Champions League – that means the top three, not four like in the other big leagues.
Knutsen’s merits in Glimt
Knutsen joined Glimt as an assistant in 2017 and took over as head coach before the 2018 season. Since then, he has won four league golds and one cup gold with the northerners.
In Europe, he has taken Glimt to the semi-finals of the Europa League in 2025 – and to the last eight of the Champions League this year, after knocking out Inter 5-2 on aggregate. These results have ensured that the club now has the money to build a new stadium.
Bad luck with managers
Strasbourg lost Gary O’Neil to Ipswich after only 27 games. Before that, they had Liam Rosenior, who had a brief stint at Chelsea before being sacked, and before him again Patrick Vieira, who couldn’t get anything to work.
Now the French hope that Kjetil Knutsen can be the man who gives the club stability and success. The question is whether Bodø/Glimt are ready to let him go.
Salaries and Contracts of Head Coaches in European Football
| # | Coach | Nationality | Club | Annual salary | Age | Contracts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Simone Inzaghi | 🇮🇹 Italy | Inter | €26M | 50 | 2027 |
| 2 | Diego Simeone | 🇦🇷 Argentina | Atlético Madrid | €23,5M | 48 | 2027 |
| 3 | Mikel Arteta | 🇪🇸 Spain | Arsenal | £15M | 43 | 2027 |
| 4 | José Mourinho | 🇵🇹 Portugal | Real Madrid | €12M | 63 | 2029 |
| 5 | Luis Enrique | 🇪🇸 Spain | PSG | €12M | 56 | 2027 |
| 6 | Enter Postecoglou | 🇦🇺 Australia | Al-Nassr | €11,7M | 60 | 2028 |
| 7 | Oliver Glasner | 🇦🇹 Austria | Nottingham Forest | £11.5M | 51 | 2029 |
| 8 | Xabi Alonso | 🇪🇸 Spain | Bayer Leverkusen | £11.5M | 44 | 2030 |
| 9 | Luciano Spalletti | 🇮🇹 Italy | Naples | €11,2M | 67 | 2028 |
| 10 | Enzo Maresca | 🇮🇹 Italy | Chelsea | £10M | 46 | 2029 |
| 11 | Matthias Jaissle | 🇩🇪 Germany | RB Salzburg | €10M | 38 | 2027 |
| 12 | Gian Piero Gasperini | 🇮🇹 Italy | Atalanta | €9,3M | 68 | 2028 |
| 13 | Massimiliano Allegri | 🇮🇹 Italy | Juventus | €8,4M | 58 | 2029 |
| 14 | Andoni Iraola | 🇪🇸 Spain | Liverpool | £8M | 44 | 2028 |
| 15 | Unai Emery | 🇪🇸 Spain | Aston Villa | £8M | 54 | 2029 |
| 16 | Roberto De Zerbi | 🇮🇹 Italy | Tottenham | £8M | 47 | 2031 |
| 17 | Hansi Flick | 🇩🇪 Germany | Germany | €7,5M | 61 | 2027 |
| 18 | Ruben Amorim | 🇵🇹 Portugal | AC Milan | €7,4M | 41 | 2028 |
| 19 | Cristian Chivu | 🇷🇴 Romania | Parma | €7,4M | 45 | 2028 |
| 20 | Vincent Kompany | 🇧🇪 Belgium | Burnley | €7M | 40 | 2027 |
| 21 | Jorge Jesus | 🇵🇹 Portugal | Al-Hilal | €7M | 71 | 2026 |
| 22 | Maurizio Sarri | 🇮🇹 Italy | Lazio | €6,4M | 67 | 2029 |
| 23 | Eddie Howe | 🏴 England | Newcastle | £6M | 48 | 2028 |
| 24 | Manuel Pellegrini | 🇨🇱 Chile | Real Betis | €6M | 72 | 2027 |
| 25 | David Moyes | 🏴 Scotland | West Ham | £5M | 63 | 2027 |
| 26 | Okan Buruk | 🇹🇷 Turkey | Galatasaray | €5M | 52 | 2026 |
| 27 | Michael Carrick | 🏴 England | Manchester United | £5M | 44 | 2028 |
| 28 | Frank Lampard | 🏴 England | Everton | £5M | 48 | 2029 |
| 29 | Edin Terzić | 🇩🇪 Germany | Borussia Dortmund | €5M | 43 | 2028 |
| 30 | Nuno Espírito Santo | 🇵🇹 Portugal | Wolverhampton | £4.5M | 52 | 2027 |
| 31 | Niko Kovač | 🇭🇷 Croatia | Wolfsburg | €4,5M | 54 | 2027 |
| 32 | Marcelino García Toral | 🇪🇸 Spain | Villarreal | €4,5M | 60 | 2026 |
| 33 | Marco Silva | 🇵🇹 Portugal | Fulham | £4M | 48 | 2026 |
| 34 | Laurent Blanc | 🇫🇷 France | Lyon | €4M | 60 | 2026 |
| 35 | Marco Rose | 🇩🇪 Germany | RB Leipzig | £4M | 49 | 2029 |
| 36 | Paulo Fonseca | 🇵🇹 Portugal | Small | €3,9M | 53 | 2027 |
| 37 | Domenico Tedesco | 🇮🇹 Italy | Belgium | €3,7M | 40 | 2028 |
| 38 | Sebastian Hoeneß | 🇩🇪 Germany | Stuttgart | €3,5M | 44 | 2028 |
| 39 | Adi Hütter | 🇦🇹 Austria | Eintracht Frankfurt | €3M | 56 | 2027 |
| 40 | Peter Bosz | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | PSV | €3M | 62 | 2026 |
| 41 | Carlos Corberán | 🇪🇸 Spain | Valencia | €3M | 43 | 2027 |
| 42 | Sergei Jakirović | 🇧🇦 Bosnia | Dinamo Zagreb | £3M | 49 | 2027 |
| 43 | Francesco Farioli | 🇮🇹 Italy | Nice | €2,9M | 37 | 2027 |
| 44 | Kasper Hjulmand | 🇩🇰 Denmark | Denmark | €2,8M | 54 | 2027 |
| 45 | Pellegrino Matarazzo | 🇺🇸 United States | Hoffenheim | €2,8M | 48 | 2027 |
| 46 | Gennaro Gattuso | 🇮🇹 Italy | Marseille | €2,8M | 48 | 2028 |
| 47 | Habib Baye | 🇫🇷 France | Reims | €2,8M | 48 | 2027 |
| 48 | Bruno Génésio | 🇫🇷 France | Rennes | €2,6M | 59 | 2026 |
| 49 | Fabian Hürzeler | 🇩🇪 Germany | Brighton | £2.5M | 33 | 2027 |
| 50 | Ole Werner | 🇩🇪 Germany | Werder Bremen | €2,5M | 38 | 2027 |
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