Jose Mourinho says the intensity, spirit and determination of Celtic's Seville team put his heart rate at the highest it had ever been.
The legendary Portuguese manager took on Martin O'Neill's side in the 2003 UEFA Cup final.
Porto eventually emerged as 3-2 victors in the match despite Henrik Larsson levelling the tie on two separate occasions.
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Mourinho recently spoke highly of Scottish football, having completed his UEFA B Licence with the SFA at Largs when he was a young coach.
He said [scottishfa.co.uk]: "Even around 30 years later I still feel that connection because it was an important part of my formation.
"When I remember Scotland growing up, I remember the Scotland I loved as a fan. I was following World Cups and I remember that generations of the likes of Graeme Souness and Alan Hansen.
"When I remember Scotland growing up, I remember the Scotland I loved as a fan. I was following World Cups and I remember that generations of the likes of Graeme Souness and Alan Hansen.
"Then later on, I played Celtic in the UEFA Cup Final and that was the match that put my heart-rate at the highest it had ever been because of the intensity, the spirit, the determination of that team. So hard, so difficult to play against. I think it's part of the Scottish culture."
Mourinho encountered Celtic's city rivals, Rangers, earlier this season, although his Fenerbahce side lost on penalties after a 3-3 aggregate draw.
