YOU SIMPLY cannot escape the finger of fate in football. Henrik Larsson is coming back to Celtic Park — but this time he will be wearing a Barcelona shirt.
The man who spent seven years in the east end of Glasgow and was worshipped there before his tearful departure in May, will be entrusted with the task of sabotaging the European ambitions of a club he helped to build. The prolific Sweden striker will return to his spiritual home on September 14 for the opening match of Celtic’s tough Champions League campaign.
Martin O’Neill admitted yesterday that he had an ominous feeling that this pairing would occur and if the manager felt fated to meet Larsson so quickly after the player’s switch to the Nou Camp last month, then he felt robbed of any fortune when he learnt that AC Milan, the champions of Italy, and Shakthar Donestk, of the Ukraine, made up an arduous group F assignment.
“I could have guessed that was going to happen,” O’Neill declared after watching the draw filter back from Monaco on the television set in his office at Celtic Park. “Henrik coming back here so soon is quite remarkable.”
That Larsson’s homecoming should be on the opening night of the group only adds to what will be a unique occasion. Larsson helped Celtic to four Scottish titles in his time there, and parted company last season by securing the Double with two goals in the Tennent’s Scottish Cup final. More importantly, his goals underwrote Celtic’s run to the Uefa Cup final in 2003 and he scored twice in that dramatic contest against FC Porto but ended up with nothing but painful memories.
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Now Larsson is part of the latest Barcelona makeover, one of a clutch of summer signings that includes Deco, the Portugal playmaker, Ludovic Giuly, who played in the European Cup final with AS Monaco last term, and Samuel Eto’o, the highly-prized Cameroon striker.
Celtic, of course, have little reason to fear Barcelona. They eliminated the Spanish side in last season’s Uefa Cup campaign, winning in Glasgow thanks to Alan Thompson’s goal and drawing 0-0 in the Nou Camp.
O’Neill will be grateful that he has managed to squeeze in the signing of Juninho from Middlesbrough before the transfer deadline and the little Brazilian, who has inherited Larsson’s celebrated No 7 shirt, will be given a chance to come face-to-face with his predecessor.
However, the Celtic manager knows that this could be the hardest task yet in trying to get beyond the group stage for the first time. In 2001-02, his team missed out on goal difference despite amassing nine points, while last season Celtic were three minutes away from qualifying until a late penalty by Lyons robbed them of their prize.
“I had great euphoria leading up to the draw and massive disappointment when it came out,” O’Neill said ruefully. “There were certainly easier groups, if there is such a thing in the Champions League. As I saw them coming out, I was hoping this would be the one we would avoid.
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“I do not think we could have had a tougher one, apart from maybe the one with Real Madrid and AS Roma, and I think I would even have taken that. It is a tall order but these games are worth looking forward to and they are just fantastic evenings at Celtic Park.”
The presence of AC Milan, who won the European Cup final in 2003 at Old Trafford, certainly adds to O’Neill’s assessment. The Celtic manager will make arrangements to see them once the Serie A season starts on September 12, with Celtic travelling to the San Siro on September 29 for the second match of the group, and the Italians round off the group at Celtic Park on December 7 in what could be a crucial contest.
Celtic’s home form in the Champions League group games in the last two campaigns has been impressive, winning five of the six contests with only Bayern Munich avoiding defeat with a 0-0 draw. However, it is the away record that is Celtic’s Achilles’ heel: six games, six defeats, even though many, such as the trips to Juventus and Bayern Munich, contained hard luck stories.
If Shakthar Donetsk represent the unknown, then that belies their quality. They narrowly failed to win the Ukrainian title from Dynamo Kiev but qualified by knocking out Club Brugge, of Belgium — who did well in last season’s Champions League — in the third qualifying round on a 6-3 aggregate.
They are vastly improved on the side that Arsenal overcame two seasons ago and have undertaken an expensive signing policy similar to CSKA Moscow. Mircea Lucescu, the coach, who enjoyed notable triumphs with Galatasaray, spent £14 million on Matuzalem, the Brazilian midfield player, from Brescia, and has another Brazilian and two Czechs to call upon.
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For Brian Quinn, the Celtic chairman, the winter is set to be a financially rewarding one. Celtic can expect to make £10 million from this season’s Champions League, with almost half as much again from ticket sales from three sell-out nights. “Our record in Europe is good over the last few years,” he said, “and we are not fearful of anyone — but the fact that Henrik is coming back is astonishing.”
Further proof that fate was eager to hijack the Champions League came when Chelsea’s new manager, José Mourinho, was paired with FC Porto, the club he has just left after steering them to the ultimate prize itself, the European Cup. CSKA Moscow, the conquerors of Rangers, and Paris Saint-Germain also await the London club.
Manchester United face Lyons, Sparta Prague and Fenerbahçe, while Liverpool must overcome Deportivo La Coruña, AS Monaco and Olympiakos, and Arsenal have the easiest task against PSV Eindhoven, Rosenborg and Panathinaikos.