European Cup Final 1997
AC Milan 1 | v |
2 Celtic |
| Olympic Stadium (Rome) | |
| Weah 19 mins (pen) | | Larsson 20 mins |
| | Christ 34 mins |
This is perhaps the most unusual victory for Celtic, in a history of bizarre victories.
AC Milan scored against the run of play when Robert De Niro (who made an unexpected
start, due to a number of injuries and a huge absentee list as players went AWOL) brought down
George Weah inside the penalty box. De Niro was sent off and Weah scored from the spot.
However, Celtic scored directly from the kick-off when Henrik Larsson shot from inside the
centre circle after Paul McStay rolled the ball to him.
Wave after wave of Milan attacks threatened to overwhelm Celtic when, at long last, Captain
Jesus Christ turned up to play. As Jesus fondly recalls - "I was late and just as I got out of
my car in the carpark and started hurrying into the stadium, the ball came flying over the
stands and landed at my feet. I was a wee bit drunk so I just thought I'd have a go, a speculative
shot likesay. I was over the moon when it went in."
AC Milan could not believe their bad luck and crumbled in the second half. Only some remarkably
heroic saves from the Milan goalkeeper, and woeful Celtic finishing, prevented a rout. So pitiful
was Milan's attack that Jonathan Gould left the field and went up into the executive boxes to
"chat up the birds".