Celtic fans don’t generally have a lot of love for Jose Mourinho.
The Benfica boss didn’t ingratiate himself to the Celtic support last season as Mourinho fawned over Rangers during Fenerbache’s failed Europa League campaign.
The Portuguese boss has a history of being flamboyant and arrogant but it appears that what Mourinho said before facing Chelsea as the new Benfica boss prompted Celtic hero Martin O’Neill to have a wee go at him.
And after Chelsea beat Benfica 1-0 at Stamford Bridge in the Champions League, O’Neill took this as an opportunity to have a wee dig at his former UEFA Cup adversary.
Martin O’Neill levies cheeky ‘cheat’ jibe at Jose Mourinho after Celtic defeat in UEFA Cup
As every Celtic fan knows, Jose Mourinho broke their hearts after Porto beat Celtic in the UEFA Cup final back in 2003.
Celtic beat the likes of Liverpool and Blackburn to reach the Seville final but it’s clear that even to this day, the manner of the defeat still irks O’Neill as he had a wee jab at the Benfica boss that had the Premier Sports panel chuckling.
O’Neill said, “I think he’s great manager. Really great manager. He’s very, very clever. He just wanted to remind people of how good he was.
“He’s trying to play down as if, you know, I’ve settled a little bit. Jose will never settle. A great, great manager for what he did [at Chelsea].
“It doesn’t mean that they didn’t cheat the whole way through the UEFA Cup final and lie down in heaps and go to Porto every time they scored.
“He is one of the greats. Really great manager. What he did at Chelsea, this idea that he locked up shop and stuff like this. He knew how to win, is the point. He won. And I’ve got the utmost admiration for him, because he was a winner.”
Indeed, O’Neill had his tongue firmly in his cheek but Celtic fans will resonate with the message the Hoops icon sent here.
What Jose Mourinho said about facing Celtic in the UEFA Cup final
Mourinho has his own memory of that fateful night for Celtic in Seville. Aside from lifting the trophy, the Portuguese manager admitted facing the Parkhead club played havoc with his heart.
Mourinho said of Celtic, “Even around 30 years later I still feel that connection because it was an important part of my formation.
“When I remember Scotland growing up, I remember the Scotland I loved as a fan.
“I was following World Cups and I remember that generations of the likes of Graeme Souness and Alan Hansen.
“Then later on, I played Celtic in the UEFA Cup Final and that was the match that put my heart-rate at the highest it had ever been because of the intensity, the spirit, the determination of that team.
“So hard, so difficult to play against. I think it’s part of the Scottish culture.”
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