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Inter crashed out of the Champions League play-offs against Bodo/Glimt, with Cristian Chivu blaming lower energy levels. Inter won 2-1 in the second leg at San Siro but lost 5-2 overall. The Italian side controlled possession for long spells, yet Bodo/Glimt struck twice on counter-attacks through Jens Petter Hauge and Hakon Evjen.

The defeat ends Inter’s campaign at the play-off stage after a 3-1 loss in Norway on 17 February. Kjetil Knutsen’s team absorbed pressure with a compact shape and attacked quickly in transition. Inter created several chances but struggled to break down the visitors’ low defensive block across both matches.

This is the first occasion Inter have been removed from the Champions League by a club outside Europe’s top five leagues. Previous exits had always come against sides from Italy, England, Spain, Germany or France. Their last removal by such opposition in major European competition came against Feyenoord in the 2001-02 UEFA Cup semi-finals.

Inter also suffered home and away defeats in a Champions League knockout tie for the first time since the 2010-11 quarter-finals against Schalke. It is the first instance of this happening against a team from outside the leading five European leagues in any UEFA competition, underlining the scale of this setback.

Chivu highlighted the quality of Bodo/Glimt’s structure while defending Inter’s effort levels on the night. Speaking to Sky Sport Italia, Chivu said: “We tried in every way, against a very well-organised team with a low block. I have nothing to reproach the boys for because they tried in every way to make it, with all their energy. There is a lot of bitterness. Unfortunately, we faced a team with much more energy than us and we have to congratulate them, because they deserve to go through.”

Inter’s schedule since January has been intense, with 15 matches played in all competitions. Bodo/Glimt, by contrast, have featured in only four competitive games in 2026, all Champions League fixtures. The Norwegian Eliteserien season begins next month, giving Knutsen’s squad more training time and fewer recovery demands between games.

Chivu pointed directly to that contrast when assessing Inter’s performance. Chivu said: “Energy is difficult to find when you play every three days. Maybe we could have developed better and attacked the area differently, but I have no reason to criticise the boys… with 10 players in the box defending, it was really difficult. We wanted to get through, to be competitive, even if we knew it wasn’t going to be easy against a team that has only played four games in the last two months. Now we turn the page and move on. The Champions League is like this and we have to give credit for what the opponents have done.”

While Inter battled fatigue, Bodo/Glimt extended a strong European run. The club had already removed Lazio in the 2024-25 UEFA Europa League quarter-finals. The latest success adds another Italian scalp and a first for Norway in Champions League knockout history.