Celtic’s run to Seville is one of the best European chapters in our history.
Of course, nothing will ever top Lisbon in 1967 but the 2003 UEFA Cup Final was one that will live long in the memory of that era for the Celtic fans.
After years of sitting on the Euro scrap heap, Martin O’Neill came in and completely revolutionised the club.
He brought in ‘landscape-changing’ players like Chris Sutton and developed players like Johan Myjallby into top-quality defenders.
And after he masterminded domestic dominance, next up was Europe.
After taking the club into the Champions League for the first time, O’Neill’s men incredibly still failed to qualify from the group stages with a nine-point haul in 2001.
Back-to-back home wins against Porto and Rosenborg were topped off with that magical 4-3 win against Juventus in the final group match at Celtic Park
But it was the run to the 2003 UEFA Cup final that will rank up there as one of my greatest and worst memories of supporting Celtic.
So close to European glory that team could, and should, have become immortals.
But in the end a 3-2 loss to Jose Mourinho’s Porto broke our hearts and all we have now is fond memories.
Martin O’Neill revealed that there is one player he believed that if he was still at the club, and a few years younger, would have won the cup for us at day.
Speaking in a fan Q&A on Twitter, O’Neill was asked:
After 2 games it was apparent he was a special talent. A 27-yr-old Moravcik may well have won the UEFA Cup for us in 2003.
— Martin O'Neill (@moneill31) December 7, 2022
What a player Lubo was. At 33 years old, he came as an unknown Slovakian but by the end of his first season at the club, he was a household name.
Signed by Jo Venglos, Moravcik left the club in 2002 after four incredible seasons.
How different would the final have been had Moravcik been around then? Who knows but it is difficult to argue with O’Neill’s rationale.