ZZ was tops but I’ll make my own history in Glasgow
SAYS OLIVIER NTCHAM
IT remains the greatest goal in the history of the European Cup and, unless the Lord God Almighty himself fancies a kickabout any time soon, that title is unlikely to be challenged.
Olivier Ntcham was only six when it happened, just a little nipper.
How curious it should be, though, that the goal was scored by a man who would go on to become his hero in the city Ntcham will now call home.
Using Hampden Park as his canvas, Zinedine Zidane turned football into an art form on the night of May 15, 2002.
After a hip swivel that would have put Michael Flatley to shame, the French maestro turned and struck an unstoppable leftfooted volley into the top corner to defeat Bayer Leverkusen and clinch the Champions League crown for Real Madrid.
Ntcham was just slightly too young to see the goal live on television, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t watched endless clips on YouTube, admiring his compatriot’s every move.
There is a sculpted tribute to Zidane’s moment of genius in the Scottish Football Museum at Hampden, one which Ntcham might fancy visiting after joining Celtic on a four-year deal from Manchester City for a fee of £4.5million.
‘When you see French players playing all over Europe, you want to do the same when you grow up,’ said the 21-year-old midfielder.
‘For me, it was Zidane who was my idol as a kid.
‘I didn’t see his goal in Glasgow at the time, but he was always my hero and my example to follow when I was learning how to play football.
‘Moussa (Dembele) is another guy I admire.
‘I have known him and played with him since we were 14 in the national teams in France.
‘He has told me about the atmosphere at Celtic Park and that the fans are unbelievable.
‘The Champions League has been a big reason I have made this decision.’
Having spent the past two seasons on loan at Genoa in Italy’s Serie A, Ntcham was able to pit his wits against another of his countrymen; the Golden Boy of the current crop of French players.
As a swashbuckling Paul Pogba dominated the Juventus midfield and led them to a procession of league titles year after year, Ntcham watched and learned at close quarters.
Just as Pogba did for the Old Lady of Turin, Ntcham will now be tasked with establishing himself as the midfield powerhouse of a team who uncompromisingly swat away all domestic rivals.
‘I played against Juventus three or four times,’ he said.
‘I enjoyed playing against Pogba when he was at Juve because he is also French and we had good battles in the midfield.
‘I like the way he plays and he is someone that I try to use in my style on the pitch.
‘When I arrived at Le Havre, he left to go to Manchester United for the first time.
‘But we came through the same youth system.’
The task facing Ntcham is clear. Midfield was the strongest area of Celtic’s Treble-winning side last season, with captain Scott Brown, Stuart Armstrong, Tom Rogic, Callum McGregor, Nir Bitton, and the somewhat lesser-spotted Eboue Kouassi all vying essentially for three places.
In trying to force his way into the side, Ntcham believes that his experience in Italy might be what sets him apart from the other central midfield players.
Last season, as Celtic were conquering all before them in Scotland, Ntcham’s Genoa side narrowly avoided relegation from the Italian top flight.
He knows that Glasgow will bring a different type of pressure.
The £4.5m fee could also weigh on his shoulders as he has become Celtic’s most expensive outlay in a decade since they signed Brown in 2007, but he remains confident in his ability to justify the price tag.
‘I learned a lot of tactical stuff in Italy. It has made me a better player because, in terms of tactics, Italy is the best football place in the world,’ he said.
‘I am a box-to-box midfielder. That is what the manager (Brendan Rodgers) wants from me — I am a strong, physical player.
‘The manager spoke to me and told me that the Italian league did not suit my style of football.
‘He felt that it was not the right fit for me because it was more tactical and everything was different.
‘The manager believes that I would be best suited to the Scottish game and the way Celtic play.
‘I am looking forward to it. Everything is different here with Celtic in Glasgow.
‘In Italy, when you play for Genoa, you know you are not going to finish in first position. The big clubs with the big money finish in that position. You don’t really think you are going to win something.
‘The main thing is to fight to stay in the league every season.
‘But, here at Celtic, you want to win every single thing you play in. You are expected to win and I like that attitude.’
On his chances of featuring in tomorrow night’s opening Champions League qualifier against Linfield at Windsor Park, Ntcham added: ‘My fitness is not good enough for me to play straight away, but my body weight is good.’