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Former Celtic star Andreas Hinkel has shared how Hoops fans gave Stuttgart players an experience they had never felt before during the 2003 UEFA Cup clash at Parkhead.
Celtic beat Stuttgart 3-1 in a result that proved to be crucial in the run to the 2003 UEFA Cup final in Seville.
The return leg in Germany saw Celtic lose 3-2 but that first-leg performance at Celtic Park was the one that saw the Hoops progress into the quarter-final of the UEFA Cup, now known as the Europa League.
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Credit: Getty Images/Christian Kaspar-Bartke
And it was what Celtic supporters did to the Stuttgart players then, that helped inspire that famous European result that Andreas Hinkel now shares ahead of the big tie at Paradise tomorrow night.
Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty imagesCeltic fans gave Stuttgart players ‘goosebumps’ in 2003 UEFA Cup clash
Celtic’s 2003 UEFA Cup Final run still creates fond memories for the Hoops support even though there was heartbreak at the end of it.
But for the Stuttgart players back then, what they told Hinkel about the Celtic Park atmosphere will always live with them.
Hinkel told the Daily Record, “Any Stuttgart player who was there in 2003 can certainly attest to the sheer power of the atmosphere from all the stands.
“It was a special game for the whole team. The atmosphere at Celtic Park was unique and unparalleled.
“Even experienced players like Zvonimir Soldo and Krassimir Balakov, who have played in many big games, told me they had never experienced anything like it.
“I was still young, but I got caught up in it too – goosebumps were unavoidable. You couldn’t control your body in that atmosphere.”
Celtic’s Europa League chances vs Stuttgart
Celtic face a Stuttgart side who are bang in form in the Bundesliga at this moment in time.
Sitting in the Champions League spot in fifth, Stuttgart have hammered the likes of Beyer Leverkusen, Eintracht Frankfurt and Werder Bremen this season.
Celtic will have to be on their A game defensively as the German side have scored 15 goals in the group stage this season.
However, a leaky defence has seen the Bundesliga club ship nine so there is every chance Celtic will get opportunities to score one or two goals at Parkhead.
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