As they alighted at Celtic Park 90 minutes prior to kick-off, the eyes of the Atletico Madrid players could not possibly have missed the single gold star which sits on top of the main stand.
Symbolising the European Cup which Jock Stein’s players won in 1967, the trophy has been a burden to those with a lifetime of devotion to Los Colchoneros.
Three times a finalist but never a winner. Despite their untold wealth, close but no cigarro.
As open goals go for a home support, they just don’t get any more glaring. Sure, your bunch of hatchetmen beat us in 1974 but you still couldn’t get your hands on the big-eared boy that we lifted in Lisbon seven years beforehand.
A sentiment worthy of the tifo to beat them all, you might have thought.
This, after all, was no ordinary Champions League night. Revelling in the ‘no one likes us — we don’t care’ mentality that has served them so well down the years, Atletico could scarcely have been more provocative in the build-up.
Their explanation of wearing an all-red jersey in tribute to their ‘heroes’ of 49 years ago was fooling no one. It was a naked act of antagonism. Including two of the veterans from that infamous episode in their travelling party was just doubling down on it.
If ever an occasion called for the Green Brigade to respond with the kind of striking, inspiring display which they have produced down the years then this was surely it.
But there was no bragging about ’67. No reminder that Stein cradled the trophy that evaded his vilified Atletico counterpart, Juan Carlos Lorenzo. No image of Billy McNeill raising it to the heavens. No reminder that Atletico actually lost to Bayern Munich in the ’74 final.
There was nothing bar the flying of hundreds of Palestinian flags that had been
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