Davie Provan felt like he was stepping into a Spanish bullring the last time Celtic were at the Bernabeu.
The white sea of 120,000 Real Madrid fans in their iconic stadium is a sight he’ll never forget. And he believes that if it wasn’t for a ropey Hungarian ref, the Hoops might have emerged victorious. Ange Postecoglou will take his team to the home of Los Blancos on Champions League business on Wednesday night – the club’s first visit to the Bernabeu in 42 years.
Provan was part of Billy McNeill’s side who arrived in Spain with a 2-0 first-leg lead in their European Cup quarter-final tie. It was a bucket list occasion for the Parkhead winger. But ultimately it ended in defeat as Real Madrid won 3-0 and set up a last-four clash with Hamburg. And Provan regrets he didn’t get the chance co-commentate on Celtic at the Bernabeu when Sky Sports had the TV rights. And he can’t wait to see the current side go up against Karim Benzema, Luka Modric and Co.
Because it will bring back memories of that 1980 clash when, for 44 minutes, they threatened to turn the home fans against the Euro giants. Provan told MailSport : “Any player wants to play in the big grounds and there was nothing bigger than the Bernabeu at that time.
“We had 67,000 for the first game at Celtic Park. But there were 120,000 fans inside the Bernabeu.
“It was fantastic walking out, with an all-standing crowd the atmosphere was electric. Strangely, because there was no roof on it, I’m not sure it was any noisier than Celtic Park.
“I now know how the bulls feel when they walk out in the Plaza de Toros and the matador is waiting for them. We were doing well for 44 minutes at 0-0. The crowd were getting on Madrid’s case. If we’d got to half-time they’d have got booed off. Then the pressure would have cranked up on them.
“But at the end of the game it felt like a ‘What if?’ moment for us. If we’d reached the semi-finals anything could have happened.”
Celtic had opportunities to score in Madrid but didn’t take them. Over the two legs, Provan admits the Spaniards deserved to go through. But no one will convince him that dodgy whistler Karoly Palotai didn’t have a huge say in the outcome.
Provan said: “George McCluskey had a great chance in the first 10 minutes he’d normally put away. Looking back, that would have made a hell of a difference. They’d have needed to score four times.
“They had top players like Laurie Cunningham, Juanito and Vicente Del Bosque, who was magnificent in both games. We tried to choke the game over there. That’s not like Celtic but it was our game-plan.
“Unfortunately, I remember the Hungarian referee giving a bizarre free-kick against Peter Latchford for the six-step rule. The rule was never enforced, as long as the keeper didn’t abuse it. But the ref penalised Peter for it, which was a bit suspicious. We began to think, ‘What’s going on here?’
“We managed to defend that free-kick but shortly after it Madrid got a corner and Santillana scored. That was the moment the game changed. The stadium erupted and by half-time the dynamic was different.
“The crowd got behind them, we were stretched and they scored two more. They were worthy winners over the two games. But that refereeing decision had a bad smell about it.”
The ref will be the least of Postecoglou’s worries when Celtic end their campaign in Spain. They’ve picked up plenty of plaudits but not a victory in Group F, with only two draws against Shakhtar Donetsk.
Provan accepts that Celtic and Rangers can’t compete at Europe’s top level any more. But he’s adamant both should still crave to be there. He said: “It’s going to be a tough night for Celtic with Real Madrid trying to finish top of the group.
“Ange won’t sacrifice his principles, he’ll go and try to play. It’s not in his psyche to choke the game.
“Scottish teams are whipping boys in the Champions League now but you’d much rather be there getting the odd hiding than anywhere else. It’s the best club competition in the world and worth a fortune in revenue. Every Celtic player will have dreamed of playing in the Bernabeu.
“It’s one of my regrets that when I was doing the Champions League for Sky, Celtic never drew Madrid. I was hoping it would happen and I’d get back to the Bernabeu. But I’ll certainly be watching it.”
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