Final win over Celts topped the lot, says ex-Porto star
COSTINHA and Maniche fielded some light-hearted verbal volleys from Celtic supporters when they visited Largs to hone their coaching techniques last week.
Memories of an agonising extra-time UEFA Cup Final defeat with 10 men to Porto, they discovered, can still be raw for the loser 11 years on.
A compliment they can pay in playful return fire is that the Seville success over Martin O’Neill’s side was celebrated with greater gusto than the Champions League triumph of 2004.
The central-midfield pairing started for Porto in both the 3-2 victory against Celtic and 3-0 defeat of Monaco to lift the ultimate prize in Gelsenkirchen one year later in a Jose Mourinho-inspired double.
Costinha recalled: ‘We celebrated that victory against Celtic more than winning the Champions League. Can you imagine that? I don’t know if it’s because it was the first one or because of the way we did it. Against Monaco a year later, everyone just expected us to win.
‘But against Celtic, that final was different. It was the first time for Porto and it was special. If you speak to almost everyone who was part of that team, it was the best year for all of us. We played beautiful football.
‘Arriving for the Final against Celtic, it was great because we were playing in front of one of the best supports in the world.
‘Celtic’s fans, Scottish fans in general are well known for that. The atmosphere in the stadium was unbelievable. Also their team was good, strong. The way they came back into the game meant you also had passion, emotion.’
Costinha’s participation in Seville ended just nine minutes into the 120 after what had appeared innocuous contact with Alan Thompson. His upset was soon soothed by the promise, from his bullish manager, of contesting another European final.
‘Thompson gave me a knee in the thigh which kept me out for three months,’ he said. ‘At the end of the game, Mourinho came to me and said: “You are sad?”. I said: “Of course I’m sad. Every player wants to play the Final. Nine minutes? Come on...”.
‘And he shrugged to me and said: “Don’t worry, we’ll do it next year”. And I’m saying: “Oh yeah, next year? Against Barcelona, Real Madrid and Man United in the Champions League? Of course”. And then we did!’