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Christopher Jullien believes Celtic could have won the 2020 Europa League by an unprecedented quadruple.
The former Hoops defender was part of Neil Lennon’s side that crowned his organisation three years ago by beating Serie A side Lazio home and away. And ahead of Celtic’s return to Rome on Tuesday night in the Champions League, Jullien says their remarkable victory at the Stadio Olimpico has seen them win the trophy. Celtic won the domestic treble under Lennon that year, despite the Premiership season ending early due to the Covid pandemic.
In Europe, they were eventually eliminated by FC Copenhagen, who reached the quarterfinals before losing to Manchester United. Jullien says the loss to the Danes was one of the biggest disappointments of his career, as Lennon’s team was smart enough to go all the way. Sevilla finally beat Inter Milan in the August 2020 final, which was played behind closed doors.
But Jullien, now with French side Montpellier, said: “We had a very clever crusade in the Europa League that year, that’s why it was so disappointing to face Copenhagen. It was one of the worst nights I’ve ever had at Celtic. “Because the tournament is there for us.
“I felt like we could at least get to the quarterfinals or the final. Maybe we’ve done something special with this team.
“I’m sure a lot of other organisations in Europe think the same because we showed how smart we are organisationally by beating Lazio twice. In the race for the name in Scotland we were way ahead, so they were handed the trophy anyway.
“We did well in the cups, so the hat-tricks were there. But I also think maybe we can win all four of them. That was our purpose and it would have been incredible. It’s frustrating when I think about it now.
Jullien, who signed for £7m via Lennon from Toulouse, is now a Celtic supporter and desperately needs them to succeed in Europe under Brendan Rodgers. He hopes they can repeat the feat of beating Lazio in Rome on Tuesday night.
And even if Celtic do not progress to the playoffs and qualify for the Europa League, Jullien says nothing will stop them from reaching the final levels of this tournament. He said: “If they qualify for the Europa League, they could be set to succeed ultimately.
“Rangers showed a few years ago that it was imaginable for Scottish clubs to do that. It’s difficult to progress in the Champions League, but your goal may be to go far in the Europa League. It would be fantastic for the club and the fans.
“It’s possible that in 2020 we made it to the final and it would have been wonderful to bring all the fans together for an adjustment like that. It would be huge for the club. To return a European trophy to the Celtic family would be incredible. I hope they can do that this year.