Any prospect that this goal would allow the Celts to consolidate their position were almost immediately dashed. Within two minutes, Rinus Israel of Feyenoord had headed home an equaliser, and the Dutch side continued to be relentless in their pursuit of another goal. Remarkably, this was the first time the Dutch side had scored away from the Netherlands during the entire campaign.
John Hughes came agonisingly close
In the remainder of the 90 minutes, both sides pressed at times, although the Dutchmen had the upper hand. Nevertheless, when full-time arrived, it remained 1-1. Extra time was needed; this almost saw Celtic take the lead but John Hughes could not convert a good chance.
1970 European Cup Final against Feyenoord in the San Siro, Milan on 6 May 1970. Photo The Celtic Wiki
As the minutes ran down, Celtic struggled to keep their opponents at bay. With little time remaining, there was hope that the match would finish a draw, necessitating a replay later in the week. Had this happened, it was believed Celtic would have approached the game with a much better and effective attitude.
But then, these hopes came to an end. With only four minutes to play, Billy McNeill handled the ball in the box. Before a penalty could be awarded, Feyenoord’s Swedish forward Kindvall knocked home to put his side in front.
Just like in Lisbon, the scoreline read 2-1, and once more, it was the underdogs who were leading. Celtic did not have the energy to overcome this; dreams of a second European Cup came to a crashing conclusion. The simple reality was that Celtic underestimated a very talented Dutch team.
Interestingly, in later years, many players voiced these opinions. It was suggested by many of the squad that Jock Stein – the 1967 mastermind – had been responsible, failing to appreciate how capable that Feyenoord were, or the danger they posed. Although he may not have publicly stated this, the manager did blame himself for that day’s failure.
“The serpent of complacency had entered Paradise.”
The iconic Celtic history book, ‘The glory and the dream’ by Tom Campbell and Pat Woods sums the situation up when it says “The serpent of complacency had entered Paradise.” Celtic had gone to Lisbon without being given a chance and fought for glory. But in Milan, an expectation of victory meant the reverse had happened, and Dutch teams went on to win four consecutive European Cups.
IMAGO / ANP ROTTERDAM – Celtic coach Brendan Rodgers and Joe Hart look at a photo of Wim Jansen. Jansen has also been Celtic s coach. During a press conference, PK, Pressekonferenz in De Kuip, Scottish Celtic FC looks ahead to the first match in the group stage of the Champions League against Feyenoord. ANP OLAF KRAAK – VI ANP Sport
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