Celtic driven by past success

Touching distance
Now Celtic supporters are turning their eyes towards Portugal once more because if their heroes can overcome Boavista FC when the sides meet in the UEFA Cup semi-final on Thursday night, they will be within touching distance of a European title for the first time since 1970. On that occasion, the legendary Jock Stein took his players to the San Siro in pursuit of a second European Cup triumph, only to be confounded by a new force in the game as Feyenoord became the first Dutch side to have their name engraved on the trophy.

Fortunes transformed
Celtic came close on two further occasions, losing European Cup semi-finals to Inter in 1972 and Club Atlético de Madrid in 1974 but after that the glint of silverware receded - until Martin O'Neill arrived at Celtic Park in the summer of 2000. The former Northern Irish international midfield player, who won a European Cup medal under Brian Clough at Nottingham Forest FC, transformed the club's fortunes, winning the Scottish domestic treble in his first season and securing a second championship the following year - the first time Celtic had successfully defended a title in two decades.

Impressive list
Celtic then competed in the UEFA Champions League for the first time as O'Neill shaped a side who have become very difficult to beat on their own ground. Since AFC Ajax defeated them in August 2001, no other side has won in the east end of Glasgow - and the list includes FC Porto, Juventus FC, Rosenborg BK, Valencia CF, FC Basel, Blackburn Rovers FC, RC Celta de Vigo, VfB Stuttgart and Liverpool FC.

Simple philosophy
The philosophy behind this impressive record is simplicity itself. O'Neill learned from Clough not to confuse players with unnecessary complications, to heed their individual needs and quirks and to build a team by the classical method - along the spine, with a forceful goalkeeper, central defender and centre forward - plus, as the Celtic manager put it recently "a midfield goalscorer, preferably two, who will change the game when things are not happening elsewhere".

'We are so close'
Like Clough, O'Neill values character and it shows in Celtic's durability. His fellow Northern Irishman, Neil Lennon, who plays the holding role in Celtic's midfield, expressed it concisely when he said: "This side just approaches every game the same way. The league keeps us focused and on our toes between European games but this is a tie where we are so close now that everyone wants it. Boavista were in the Champions League last season and won the Portuguese title two years ago and they have obvious pedigree but we think we have a decent chance.

Now or never
"There are a lot of boys in their 30s in our squad who might never get the chance to qualify for a European final again. We've been written off in every round so far but we've proved out critics wrong. It will be a tremendous feeling if we get there but there is still a lot of work to be done."