Decades later, there was one significant reason to recall this final. In 1997, Wim Jansen was appointed to be Celtic’s manager. He was one of Feyenoord’s heroes in that 1970 match. The Celtic fans were certainly willing to forget his earlier impact when he led the Bhoys to the title in 1998, doing so for the first time in a decade, and stopping Rangers’ pursuit of ten-in-a-row.
After the final, Celtic went on a tour of the USA and Canada, facing notable sides such as Manchester United, Eintracht Frankfurt and Bari. However, nothing could shake the disappointment that remained from the match in Milan. This proved to be the start of the dismantling of this squad, and the Lisbon Lions. Within two years, seven of the 1967 XI had moved on.
It was time to build a new set of Celtic heroes
It was time to build a new set of Celtic heroes. The Bhoys would go on to reach two more European Cup semi-finals, losing out on penalties to Inter Milan in 1972 and then in a controversial and violent game against Atletico Madrid in 1974. However, since 1970, Celtic have not reached the European Cup Final (or Champions League) although did get to the UEFA Cup Final in 2003.
Henrik Larsson scores for Celtic in Seville. Photo Celtic FC
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