Valencia fans pelted me with a baguette... but it was my best ever game for Celtic
SAYS RAB DOUGLAS
THE assembled baying hordes at Valencia’s 50,000-seat Mestalla were expecting little more than a procession when Celtic arrived on Spain’s east coast for a UEFA Cup tie in November 2001.
They came to see their starstudded team, fresh from two Champions League finals and en route to a first La Liga title in 31 years, turn over their Scottish visitors.
Managed by Rafa Benitez, the hostile atmosphere was whipped into a frenzy in the name of Los Che. Voices were hoarse singing the names of Ayala, Aimar, Canizares and more. Restraint and cordiality no more than an afterthought.
For visiting goalkeeper Rab Douglas, the night was an all-out assault, not just from the hosts’ awe-inspiring starting line-up, but also the unrelenting locals.
However, in this cauldron, facing fearful odds, he did not wilt. Save after save was met by howls from the home fans, with Douglas denying all-comers until he was finally beaten by Vicente late on. Having become so frustrated by his heroics, the home fans behind the goal had already taken matters into their own hands.
‘The Mestalla is a great venue,’ recalled Douglas, now 46. ‘The fans are right on top of you. Normally the stands are tiered back, but over there they just go straight up.
‘The atmosphere was electric. I got pelted with a baguette so I took a bite out of it — at the same time as Valencia went on the attack! That got me back into position quickly.
‘Of course, if I’d lost a goal when enjoying the baguette I would have been slaughtered for it! But it was good banter with their supporters and a few of them gave me a cheer. They saw the funny side.
‘Valencia were a top-class side. Their keeper, (Santiago) Canizares, was one of my heroes. The away leg was probably my best game for Celtic, even though we lost in the end. European nights with Celtic were special. My experiences in both the Champions League and UEFA Cup were exceptional.’
The current Celtic team will not face quite the same beast when the clubs meet again on Thursday. Valencia have been depleted by the regular departures of stars such as David Silva, David Villa and Isco, finishing 12th in La Liga as recently as 2015 and 2016.
And while a second leg in the Mestalla remains an intimidating prospect, Valencia fans will remember how their side toiled in the return leg in Glasgow, facing hostilities from a wall of green and white inside Parkhead.
Henrik Larsson’s goal sent the tie to penalties, where Douglas excelled again, saving from Vicente and Roberto Ayala from the spot, before Joos Valgaeren’s miss led to Celtic’s exit.
And, for Douglas, it is home advantage Brendan Rodgers’ team must harness again if they are to reach the last-16 of the Europa League.
‘I’d love to see Celtic go one better than we did,’ said ex-Livingston, Dundee and Leicester No1 Douglas, who won 19 caps for Scotland.
‘The atmosphere at Parkhead for this kind of game is unbelievable — I promise you, you won’t get a better venue for a Euro tie.
‘The Mestalla is a proper venue, but it’s not in the class of Parkhead. I was lucky to play some massive European games there — Liverpool, Juventus, Porto.
‘Keeping clean sheets at Anfield — I was a Liverpool fan growing up — and Blackburn Rovers during our run to the UEFA Cup final was hugely satisfying.
‘That’s the life of a goalie — you let one under your foot it’s a goal, you make saves in Valencia you’re remembered.’