Ex-Celtic star Alan Thompson started Jose Mourinho fight with Lucozade
Former Celtic midfielder Alan Thompson has recalled how he started a fracas in the tunnel at half-time of the 2003 Uefa Cup final by spraying Lucozade in the face of Jose Mourinho.
• READ MORE: Rumour Mill: Celtic to break transfer record | Rangers target Roma striker | Bruno Alves refused Portugal return
Speaking at an offtheball.com event, the Englishman described how it was him who prompted a fight between Celtic and Porto players in Seville, a match which Martin O’Neill’s side lost 3-2 in extra-time.
Celtic went into the interval 1-0 down after Derlei had netted an stoppage time opener. The goal and subsequent frustrations angered the Celtic players with Thompson targeting the then Porto boss Mourinho.
He said: “I didn’t realise that when Porto scored the goal just before half-time, Derlei scored, he ran past the Celtic bench (punching his chest). I didn’t know that. So that’s obviously got tempers fraying a little bit before the whistle goes.
“There’s a bit of a fracas down the tunnel. He’s piped up, Mourinho. I’ve got a Lucozade in my hand because I’m thirsty and just went straight over Moruinho and it’s all kicked off. I sprayed the Lucozade in his face and it got even worse, more people were piling in, then I thought I better run. So I ran, got in the dressing room and no one is there. I’m sitting thinking ‘where the hell is everyone’.
“So I obviously threw the hand-grenade, started everything off and bolted.”
It was a revelation which surprised Thompson’s Celtic colleague Jackie McNamara who was speaking at the same event.
“To this day I thought Mourinho instigated a fight,” McNamara said. “I didn’t know he done that. We’re all fighting, he’s done that and effed off and s**t himself, we’re all scrapping in the tunnel.
“To this day I genuinely thought Mourinho instigated a fight, because they had scored just before half-time I thought he was trying to get his players knowing we are going to come out in the second half and they need to get up for this.”