The Lisbon Lions is the nickname given to the Celtic team that won the European Cup at the Estádio Nacional in Lisbon, Portugal on 25 May 1967, defeating Inter Milan 2–1.
Name The name is likely due to the fact that the Lisbon-based club Sporting's mascot is a lion and both clubs wear green and white horizontal stripes.The Day Lisbon Belonged to Celtic , Stuart Spencer, Scottish Football Museum, 25 May 2017
Event
All but two members of the 15 man squad were born within 10 miles of Celtic Park in Glasgow, Scotland (Bobby Lennox, who was born 30 miles away in Saltcoats, and Tommy Gemmell, who was born in Motherwell 11 miles away). Celtic's style was the antithesis of the cynical – but highly effective – defensive style of Inter. Jimmy Johnstone described the team's style as "like the Dutch speeded-up".Memories of the day 'Wee Jinky' got his teeth into the European Cup, by Robert Philip
In the stadium where his father Valentino played his last match, Sandro Mazzola opened the scoring for Inter with a 7th-minute penalty after Jim Craig had brought down Renato Cappellini. The Italians then retreated into their famous 11-man defence. Inter did not win a single corner and forced Celtic goalkeeper Ronnie Simpson to make only two saves. Celtic had two shots off the crossbar, and 39 other attempts on goal, 13 of which were saved by Italian goalkeeper Giuliano Sarti, seven were blocked or deflected, and 19 were off-target. Craig made amends for his penalty mistake on 63 minutes, when he laid off the ball for Tommy Gemmell to fire home for the Celtic equaliser. With 83 minutes on the clock, Gemmell was allowed space, and he played the ball to Bobby Murdoch, whose long-range shot was deflected by Stevie Chalmers past Sarti into the net.
Celtic were the first British club to win the European Cup, and still the only Scottish club to have reached the final. Having already triumphed in the Scottish top flight, Scottish Cup, and Scottish League Cup, the Lisbon Lions became the first winners of the European Treble and remain the only winners of the fabled Quadruple. Celtic are also one of just three European clubs to have won five trophies in a single season, thanks to their Glasgow Cup triumph over Partick Thistle. They reached the European Cup final again in 1970 but were beaten 2–1 by Feyenoord after extra time in the San Siro Stadium in Milan.
Celtic's results in the 1966–67 European Cup 1966–67 European CupDateVenueOpponentsScoreRoundCeltic scorers28 September 1966Celtic Park, Glasgow (H)FC Zürich2–0First round, 1st legGemmell, McBride5 October 1966Letzigrund, Zürich (A)FC Zürich3–0First round, 2nd legGemmell (2, 1 pen.), Chalmers30 November 1966Stade Marcel Saupin, Nantes (A)FC Nantes3–1Second round, 1st legMcBride, Lennox, Chalmers7 December 1966Celtic Park, Glasgow (H)FC Nantes3–1Second round, 2nd legJohnstone, Chalmers, Lennox1 March 1967Karađorđe Stadium, Novi Sad (A)FK Vojvodina0–1Quarter-final, 1st legn/a8 March 1967Celtic Park, Glasgow (H)FK Vojvodina2–0Quarter-final, 2nd legChalmers, McNeill12 April 1967Celtic Park, Glasgow (H)Dukla Prague3–1Semi-final, 1st legJohnstone, Wallace (2)25 April 1967Stadion Juliska, Prague (A)Dukla Prague0–0Semi-final, 2nd legn/a25 May 1967Estádio Nacional, Lisbon (N)Inter Milan2–1FinalGemmell, Chalmers
Celtic team in the final Ronnie Simpson Jim Craig Tommy Gemmell Bobby Murdoch Billy McNeill (captain) John Clark Jimmy Johnstone Willie Wallace Stevie Chalmers Bertie Auld Bobby Lennox John Fallon (substitute goalkeeper, not used)
Jock Stein (Manager) Sean Fallon (Assistant Manager) Neil Mochan (Trainer)
Notes: Celtic did not wear numbers on their shirts at this time. The numbers shown were sewn onto their shorts.
A second goalkeeper was the only substitute allowed at the time. The other members of the squad who played in Europe during that season were Charlie Gallagher, John Hughes, Joe McBride and Willie O'Neill.
Awards BBC Sports Team of the Year: 1967 SPFA Special Merit Award: 1992 (awarded to Lisbon Lions) Scottish Football Hall of Fame: 2017 (Lisbon Lions inducted) The Loving Cup (Lord Provost's Awards): 2017 (the 50th anniversary)
References
External links Local Heroes: The story of the Lisbon Lions, by Chris Hunt, published in FourFourTwo magazine, June 2007 Year of Triumph a scanned-in commemorative magazine from 1967. Lisbon Lions site in Norwegian. Match report from the Guardian, 1967. Celtic 67 more recent picture of two of the Lisbon Lions. Football's Greatest Teams - Celtic