2003 UEFA Cup Final

Event	UEFA Cup 2002–03
Celtic Porto 2 3
After extra time
Date	21 May 2003
Venue	Estadio Olímpico de Sevilla, Seville
Referee	Ľuboš Micheľ (Slovakia)
Attendance	52,972
← 2002 2004 →

The 2003 UEFA Cup Final was played on 21 May 2003 between Celtic of Scotland and FC Porto of Portugal. Porto won the match 3–2 in extra time thanks to a goal from Derlei. This was also the first game to use the silver goal rule, although it did not affect the outcome of the game as Porto scored in the second half of extra time, thus meaning the game had to be played until the end of extra time.^[1]

The game was perhaps most remarkable for having what UEFA described as "the largest travelling support to have assembled for a single game"^[2] - around 80,000 Celtic fans travelled to Seville for the final.^[3][4][5]. This however was beaten by their rivals Rangers when an estimated 200,000 plus Rangers fans travelled to Manchester for the 2008 UEFA Cup Final.^[6] For this turnout and the manner with which they conducted themselves, Celtic fans received an award from FIFA and UEFA, winning the FIFA Fair Play Award that year and being presented with a formal recognition from UEFA at a home match the following season.^[7]

[edit] Match summary

Porto became the first team to win a trophy in a match under the silver goal rule as they overcame Celtic to claim their first UEFA Cup. The hot weather meant that the game was played at a relatively slow pace which seemed to favour Porto and led to a number of rash challenges from Celtic, one of which led to Joos Valgaeren getting a yellow card in the 8th minute. After this it was a stoic affair, until 32 minutes into the first half when Capucho played in for Deco, but he could do no more than fire his shot straight at Robert Douglas. Straight after this attack, Celtic broke on the counter with Henrik Larsson putting Didier Agathe through on the right but his cross was too high for Chris Sutton. Larsson had a chance to make it 1–0 in the 35th minute but was unable to get enough contact on the ball. Porto came close in the 41st minute when Deco moved past Bobo Balde to go one on one with Robert Douglas, who saved Deco's shot with his legs. Porto finally found a way through in the 45th minute when, after some great work from Deco, Derlei followed up Dmitri Alenichev's shot which was saved by Robert Douglas, to give Porto a 1–0 lead on the stroke of half time. It was his 11th goal of the competition.

Porto's lead did not last long after the restart as Celtic equalised when Henrik Larsson met Didier Agathe's cross to send a looping header in over the helpless Vítor Baía to get his tenth goal of the tournament and his 200th Celtic goal. However, within 5 minutes, it was 2–1 when Deco's through ball found Dmitri Alenichev who converted the cross. Three minutes later, Celtic equalised once again through Henrik Larsson when he headed in Alan Thompson's corner. After this the game stagnated until a couple of minutes from time when Jackie McNamara's errant pass found Dmitri Alenichev, however he shot it over the net.

Normal time ended with the game at 2–2, and extra time saw cagey football from both sides. Celtic were down to ten men when Bobo Balde was dismissed in the 96th minute after collecting his second yellow card. However, they could not hold for long, as in the 112th minute Derlei reacted quickest to a Robert Douglas block and rounded McNamara to make it 3–2. Porto managed to hang on even after having Nuno Valente sent off, thus ensuring that Porto had ended their 16 year wait for European glory.

[edit] Match details

21 May 2003 20:45 CET	Celtic	2 – 3 (a.e.t.)	Porto	Estadio Olímpico de Sevilla, Seville Attendance: 52,972 Referee: Ľuboš Micheľ (Slovakia)
	Larsson  47'  57'	Report	Derlei  45'  115' Alenichev  54'

Celtic

Porto

CELTIC: GK 20 Robert Douglas CB 5 Joos Valgaeren 8' 64' CB 6 Bobo Baldé  96' CB 35 Johan Mjällby RWB 17 Didier Agathe LWB 8 Alan Thompson CM 14 Paul Lambert (c) 76' CM 18 Neil Lennon 59' CM 19 Stiliyan Petrov 102' 105' CF 9 Chris Sutton CF 7 Henrik Larsson Substitutes: GK 21 Magnus Hedman DF 4 Jackie McNamara 76' DF 16 Ulrik Laursen 64' MF 3 Mohammed Sylla MF 39 James Smith FW 12 David Fernández FW 29 Shaun Maloney 105' Manager: Martin O'Neill

PORTO: GK 99 Vítor Baía RB 22 Paulo Ferreira CB 2 Jorge Costa (c) 71' CB 4 Ricardo Carvalho LB 8 Nuno Valente  120' RM 15 Dmitri Alenichev CM 6 Costinha 9' LM 18 Maniche 120' AM 10 Deco CF 11 Derlei CF 21 Capucho 98' Substitutes: GK 13 Nuno DF 3 Pedro Emanuel 71' DF 5 Ricardo Costa 9' DF 14 César Peixoto MF 28 Clayton FW 66 Tiago FW 78 Marco Ferreira 120' 98' Manager: José Mourinho

[edit] See also

• 2002–03 UEFA Cup
• History of Celtic F.C.
• The Bhoys from Seville

[edit] References