1967: Celtic foiled by Racing success
Saturday 4 November 1967
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Racing won the 1967 competition after a play-off (©Getty Images)
Celtic FC 1-0 Racing Club Buenos Aires
Racing Club Buenos Aires 2-1 Celtic FC
Teams level on two points after two legs
Racing Club Buenos Aires 1-0 Celtic FC
Racing win the competition after a play-off
Celtic FC were the first British side to reach the European/South American Cup final in 1967, but it was Argentinian champions Racing Club Buenos Aires who took the title after a bad-tempered play-off in Montevideo.
Violent incidents
Jock Stein's side had beaten FC Internazionale Milano 2-1 in Lisbon to win the European title, and 103,000 fans came to Hampden Park to watch Billy McNeill's 67th-minute goal decide the first leg of their intercontinental tie against Racing. Celtic lost goalkeeper Ronnie Simpson to an injury suffered in the pre-match warm-up before the second fixture and John Fallon was called on to deputise. Tommy Gemmell nonetheless put the Scottish side ahead with a 22nd-minute penalty before goals from Norberto Raffo and Juan Carlos Cárdenas won the day for Racing.
Six red cards
A play-off decider then took place at the Centenario Stadium in Montevideo, Uruguay, Cárdenas scoring the only goal of the game to give Racing the cup. Unfortunately the match is more frequently remembered for referee Rodolfo Osorio sending off six players, four from Celtic and two from Racing, as both sides lost their heads.
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