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The European Cup final of 1970 will forever be woven into the fabric of Feyenoord and Celtic. It is a relic of a bygone era, when these two clubs held legitimate ambitions of winning the biggest prize in club football.
The name of Wim Jansen will also be inextricably linked to both clubs thanks to his efforts as both player and manager.
Jansen played for Feyenoord in that final and it would be a night of glory at the San Siro, a 2-1 win after extra-time sealing the club’s first — and still their only — European Cup.
The Dutchman then managed Celtic to one of the most significant league titles in their history in 1998, a triumph which stopped Rangers winning ten-in-a-row.
Jansen passed away in 2022 but is still revered by fans from both clubs. His name is pretty much viewed as footballing royalty here in Rotterdam.
Robin van Persie enjoyed a stellar career of his own as a player. Now back at his boyhood club Feyenoord as manager, he paid an emotional tribute yesterday to the man he viewed as a mentor when he came through the youth ranks.
Wim Jansen spent the majority of his career at Feyenoord but managed Celtic to a league title
Celtic's Jimmy Johnstone evades the tackle of Wim van Hanegem as Wim Jansen watches on
Robin van Persie spoke effusively about the impact Jansen had on his formative years
Speaking ahead of tonight’s Europa League clash with Celtic, Van Persie said: ‘For me personally, I used to play in the youth team at Feyenoord Academy.
‘The first thing I would always do, when I came onto the pitch, was look over to the corner flag on the left side of the clubhouse. That corner was always where Wim was.
‘I always wanted to make sure he was there. Why? Because I only wanted to impress one person, and that was Wim.
‘If I knew he was at the corner flag, then I knew he would be watching. And he was always at all of my games.
‘Wim was the man who triggered me often. He once said to me, when I was a very young player, that he wanted to see in the first five minutes of a game that I was the best of all the players on the pitch.
‘He said: “That is what you have to show”. That was one of those small details when he triggered me.
‘There were so many other moments which we spent together. He once saw me at the bus stop — bus stop 49 — at the back of the training ground behind the stadium. I used to have to travel by metro and by tram to get home.
Jansen protects the ball from Celtic winger Willie Wallace in the 1970 final in the San Siro
‘But this time Wim just happened to come by and he let me hop into his car and gave me a lift. The journey was 30 minutes to the other side of town.
‘And during that 30-minute ride, we only spoke about football. And he was asking me so many direct questions.
‘He wouldn’t give me the answer because he wanted me to think. Those questions helped me to become a better player.
‘I have so many memories to think back on with massive pleasure. Wim was such a big football man.
‘Everything has been put into a book, but I don’t need to read it. I have the rough version of all his transcriptions at home which were given to me, and I still read them now.
‘Everything he wrote down shows the passion and love he has for football, and I feel that whenever I read it.
‘That’s why he was so important in that one year at Celtic, too. That’s why he has been such an important figure in Dutch football.’
The notes scribbled down by Jansen over many years have been passed to Van Persie. With Feyenoord currently mired in a run of poor form, they become a source of knowledge and comfort in difficult times.
Jansen won the title in his season in charge at Celtic, ending Rangers' hopes of nine in a row
‘I was very honoured,’ continued Van Persie. ‘I got part of his legacy from his son, Wim Junior.
‘I read so many pages and still look at them now. Everything is made so clear, whether it’s about technique or tactics. Wim had written pages and pages on it all.
‘But, then again, he was always full-time busy with football. Anything that came to his mind, he wrote down.
‘Wim has been an icon for Dutch and Scottish football because of that year he had with Celtic.
‘In this way, I feel we are playing a game against Celtic which, in my opinion, is actually in honour of Wim Jansen.’
Looking back now, those were the glory days for Celtic and Feyenoord in the late 60s and 70s. Both clubs conquered Europe and both wear those victories as a badge of honour.
Dotted around De Kuip Stadium here in Rotterdam are countless murals and all kinds of memorabilia in testament to Feyenoord’s finest hour.
Feyenoord's De Kuip stadium is widely regarded as one of football's most raucous grounds
Yet, the landscape is very different now than it was all those years ago. The prospect of winning another European Cup is little more than a fantasy.
In this port city where shipyards are still a prominent part of the culture, theses two clubs are scratching around just trying to stay afloat in the Europa League.
Martin O’Neill arrives in Rotterdam still steering Celtic’s ship, before the expected handover to Wilfried Nancy early next week.
Celtic are now in the final stages of negotiations with Nancy and it is expected that the 48-year-old Frenchman could be in the crowd to watch Sunday’s match against Hibs at Easter Road.
O’Neill spoke earlier this week of his belief that Nancy will be afforded a fresh start and should not be affected by the off-field mutiny which continues to plague Celtic and linger like a toxic smog.
There will be much to occupy him once he gets started. Over the next month or so, Celtic will play a Hearts side who sit top of the table. They have a League Cup final against St Mirren. They also have two home matches against Aberdeen and Rangers.
Those games on the domestic front will shape the early weeks of the Nancy era at Celtic Park. But whether or not there will still be a European campaign will depend on Celtic’s ability to rouse themselves in Rotterdam.
Feyenoord lost at home to a John McGinn-inspired Aston Villa last month and sit below Celtic
Defeat to Feyenoord could well sink Celtic’s hopes of progression in what has been a dismal European campaign.
Roma would then be next up in Glasgow in a fortnight. Flying high at the top of Serie A, few would give Celtic much of a chance in that one.
Much will hinge on their ability to take something tonight against a Feyenoord team who actually sit a point behind Celtic and have won only once in their last five matches in all competitions.
De Kuip is one of the great cathedrals of European football. A seething cauldron of riotous noise and colour, it can be a daunting venue for even the very best teams.
The thunderous acoustics and pre-match ritual of pumping Dutch techno music over the PA system is usually an assault on the senses.
O’Neill enjoyed many great European nights with Celtic during his first spell in charge. He restored the club’s credibility in the Champions League and the old UEFA Cup.
He is now on the home straight, the epilogue of his second coming. Victory in Rotterdam would be one hell of a last hurrah.
