1969/70: Feyernoord establish new order
Wednesday 6 May 1970
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Thomas Gemmell (Celtic FC) (Getty Images)
Feyenoord 2-1 Celtic FC (aet)
(Israel 31, Kindvall 117; Gemmell 29)
Giuseppe Meazza, Milan
New decade, new order. For the first time in the competition's 15-year history, two northern European teams contested the final of the European Champion Clubs' Cup - Feyenoord and Celtic FC.
New drama
The latter, winners in 1967, had played a key role in knocking out the traditional Latin heavyweights. Jock Stein's men beat SL Benfica on the toss of a coin before despatching AC Fiorentina in the quarter-finals. Feyenoord, meanwhile, were responsible for the demise of Milan AC, a 2-0 success in Rotterdam seeing off the holders 2-1 on aggregate in the second round. So with the usual suspects gone - Fiorentina were the only southern European side in the last eight - new dramas unfolded.
Kindvall winner
First up, the semi-final meeting of Celtic and Leeds United AFC, aka the Battle of Britain. Celtic were the neutral's choice and did not disappoint, winning 2-1 at Elland Road then 1-0 at Hampden Park. Feyenoord's run-in was rather less demanding, with victories over Vorwarts Frankfurt/Oder and Legia Warszawa. Yet there was no chance of Ernst Happel's men being unprepared for the final at San Siro. Here, after all, was a club that had changed its name from Feijenoord to the more Euro-friendly version used today with just this kind of occasion in mind. Still, it needed an extra-time goal from Ole Kindvall for Feyenoord really to become a name to conjure with, after Rinus Israel had equalised Tommy Gemmell's first-half effort for Celtic.
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