Marcelo Saracchi instantly smiles when he thinks of Martin O’Neill. The little left-back barely speaks a word of English, and O’Neill does not understand Spanish. Yet the obvious language barrier did nothing to stop the pair forming a special bond at Celtic.
It was an unlikely relationship too, considering Saracchi was never a regular starter at Parkhead. As back-up to Kieran Tierney, the attack-minded Uruguayan embraced his role from the bench as a tumultuous campaign reached its climax.
Super Sub Heroics
Thrown on as Celtic desperately chased the title-winning goal in the grand finale against Hearts, Saracchi transformed the contest. The influential full-back drove his team-mates up the pitch as the clock ticked towards full-time, bursting forward and slicing open the Jambos defence for Callum Osmand to tee up Daizen Maeda's 87th-minute strike – the moment Celtic wrestled the Premiership trophy from their rivals' grasp.
Youngster Osmand then sparked a pitch invasion with an iconic third to clinch one of the most incredible league triumphs in Celtic's history. And while Maeda and Osmand's heroics will live long in the folklore, it was unsung hero Saracchi who O’Neill singled out in the dressing room afterwards.
A Grandfather Figure
The touching gesture meant a lot to Saracchi, who regarded the 74-year-old as a grandfather figure. In an exclusive interview with Record Sport, he said: “It was a great feeling of course and it meant a lot coming from him. He was incredible. I saw him like a grandpa. We had a special relationship even though there was a language barrier.
“He didn’t speak Spanish and I didn’t speak much English. Just by gestures and expressions. He gave a smile, I gave a smile and we understood each other. He’s a great person, he knows how to handle the locker room. Apart from also knowing tactics and coaching, he knows how to handle the group for sure.”
Title-Deciding Impact
Saracchi injected energy, urgency and belief just when Celtic's hopes of a remarkable title revival were beginning to fade. Yet there is a real modesty when he speaks about his game-changing contribution. He said: “It’s always a different feeling, different emotion and different responsibility when the title is on the line. Obviously, when you come into that game, you’ve got to think of the game differently. It’s not just like any other game.
“We had chances earlier in the season to secure the title but it didn’t happen. But it happened at the end of the season. And coming onto the field, scoring those goals and winning that game was one of the best moments.
“It was a feeling I’ve never felt before with the fans behind me and cheering me on. It was a pretty good feeling especially when you come into the game late in the match. It feels like you’re an important sub coming in to make a difference. I liked the feeling and just to help the team achieve its objective which was to win the league.”
Rivalry and Memories
Despite his humble nature off the park, don't mistake Saracchi's fiery character on it. The former RB Leipzig and Galatasaray defender never shied away from a battle. The pair came to blows in the final moments as Saracchi was snapped screaming in the face of the dejected Hearts skipper, now at Rangers. Saracchi later posted the image on Instagram as he celebrated an epic league triumph but laughed: "No! No story behind that. It felt like something that was just part of the match, part of the moment and part of the rivalry.
“They came into the game thinking they had it easy. But at the same time, they have to understand that Celtic is a big club with rich history and with a great team. So it was just part of the moment, part of the rivalry.”
From the moment Saracchi walked into the building on loan from Boca Juniors, his never-say-die spirit endeared him to the green-and-white faithful. He said: “At the beginning, I felt the fans’ passion. But I definitely felt it more towards the end when we won the titles and celebrated together. It made me want to stay there longer of course. I loved the passion of the fans, the atmosphere. It was a great moment of my career.”
Understandably, there was a clamour for Celtic to make Saracchi's loan move permanent. The 28-year-old was desperate to pledge his long-term future to the club too. After topping off a whirlwind campaign with a Scottish Cup winners' medal, Saracchi didn't think for one minute that day at Hampden would be the final time he pulled on the green-and-white hoops. But the cult hero – now at Houston Dynamo – will always treasure his rollercoaster year in Glasgow.
He said: “At that moment, no. I did not think it would be my last game for the club. With what was going on, I would have liked to have stayed and was hoping to stay. But it didn’t happen and what matters to me is the great memories I have with the club, the great memories I have with the fans, the team and with everyone in general at Celtic. I will always cherish that and that will stay with me forever.”
