1970 European Cup final
In-game article clicks load inline without leaving the challenge.
The 1970 European Cup final was an association football match played between Feijenoord of the Netherlands and Celtic of Scotland on 6 May 1970 at the San Siro, Milan, Italy. The showpiece event was the final match of the 1969–70 season of Europe's premier cup competition, the European Cup. Celtic were appearing in their second final, after winning the competition in 1967, while Feyenoord were appearing in their first final. Feyenoord won 2–1 after extra time. Ove Kindvall's goal in the 117th minute meant the trophy was won by a Dutch club for the first time. It remains Feyenoord's only European Cup triumph.
For losing finalists Celtic, this marked the second, and to date most recent, European Cup final appearance in club history, after the famous win by the "Lisbon Lions" side in the 1967 edition. The match nearly never took place due to massive strikes throughout Italy in 1970; the Italian Football Federation backed down to ensure that their own clubs would be able to compete in further UEFA competitions.[citation needed]
Route to the final
| Feyenoord | Round | Celtic | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opponent | Agg. | 1st leg | 2nd leg | Opponent | Agg. | 1st leg | 2nd leg | |
| Football Association of Iceland KR | 16–2 | 12–2 (H) | 4–0 (A) | First round | Swiss Football Association Basel | 2–0 | 0–0 (A) | 2–0 (H) |
| Italian Football Federation AC Milan | 2–1 | 0–1 (A) | 2–0 (H) | Second round | Portuguese Football Federation Benfica | 3–3 (c) | 3–0 (H) | 0–3 (a.e.t.) (A) |
| Deutscher Fußball-Verband der DDR Vorwärts Berlin | 2–1 | 0–1 (A) | 2–0 (H) | Quarter-finals | Italian Football Federation Fiorentina | 3–1 | 3–0 (H) | 0–1 (A) |
| Polish Football Association Legia Warsaw | 2–0 | 0–0 (A) | 2–0 (H) | Semi-finals | The Football Association Leeds United | 3–1 | 1–0 (A) | 2–1 (H) |
Match
Summary
In contrast to their win in the European Cup final three years prior, in which they had gone into the match as heavy underdogs against Inter Milan, this time around, Celtic entered the final as strong favourites over Feyenoord.[citation needed] However, despite Celtic's Tommy Gemmell opening the scoring after 30 minutes, they were outplayed by the Dutch outfit, whose manager, Ernst Happel, ensured Celtic winger Jimmy Johnstone was double marked at all times, whilst the midfield trio of Franz Hasil, Willem van Hanegem, and Wim Jansen dominated their Scottish counterparts. Rinus Israël quickly equalised with his head; remarkably, this was the first goal of Feyenoord's European campaign that they scored away from their home stadium. In the second half, Celtic managed to hold on at 1–1 to force extra time.
With just a few minutes of extra-time remaining, a long free-kick from the Feyenoord half was sent towards the Celtic penalty area. Celtic defender and captain Billy McNeill stumbled and misjudged the ball, and as he tried to recover he appeared to punch the ball away. Before the referee had a chance to award a penalty, Ove Kindvall reacted quickly, running on and chipping the ball over the advancing goalkeeper Evan Williams to seal a 2–1 win for Feyenoord.
Details
| Feyenoord Royal Dutch Football Association | 2–1 (a.e.t.) | Scottish Football Association Celtic |
|---|---|---|
| Israël 32' Kindvall 117' | Gemmell 30' |
| Feyenoord | Celtic |
See also
- 1969–70 Celtic F.C. season
- 1970 European Cup Winners' Cup final
- 1970 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup final
- 1970 Intercontinental Cup
- Celtic F.C. in European football
- Feyenoord in European football