Aberdeen manager Barry Robson believes the Gothenburg Greats should serve as inspiration for his squad.
The heroes who won the European Cup Winners’ Cup final in 1983 are celebrating the 40th anniversary of the club’s greatest triumph this week.
The squad will then return to Pittodrie on Saturday as guests of honour for the club’s home match against Hibernian.
A sold-out Pittodrie shows the high esteem the legends are held in, and Robson insists his players should feel privileged to be part of the celebrations.
He said: “It will be an inspiration to our players.
“I have sat here many times and there has been an added bit of pressure.
“This for me, is not an added bit of pressure. It is great to have legends of the club coming back and us getting the chance to see them.
“That’s not a pressure for players, when you see these players who were unbelievably talented and went and won in Europe.”
Gothenburg Greats have played pivotal roles in Robson’s career
For Robson, the spectre of the Gothenburg Greats looms large over his career.
Key moments in his own footballing story have been shaped by several of the players who beat Real Madrid in the final in 1983.
The Dons boss said: “I know Simmy (Neil Simpson) personally, I see him every day and wind him up about it.
“Gordon Strachan was my manager (at Celtic).
“I saw Willie Miller at the player of the year dinner and I was speaking to him, Alex McLeish gave me my first Scotland cap.
“There are some guys I know have also been really good managers.
“It is not a pressure thing – it is something this football club should be proud of and the players should also be proud of those players, seeing them back.”
‘You can see how proud the city is’
Pittodrie will be the place to be as the returning heroes are welcomed back to the scene of some of the victories which put the Dons on the global football map.
For Robson, the sense of pride in the area all these years later has been clear to see.
He said: “It is not just the football club, but the city as well.
“Everybody is talking about it – my dad and all his uncles can name you all the players and what they were doing the day of Gothenburg.
“It was a great team and brilliant squad with some great achievements and you can see how proud the city is of the Gothenburg Greats, and rightly so.”
Dons boss focused on Hibs
While nostalgia is in the air at Pittodrie, Robson’s focus is firmly on the visit of the Hibees on Saturday.
Aberdeen are five points clear of Hearts in the Premiership, while Hibs closed the gap on the Dons to six points with their 2-1 win against St Mirren last weekend.
Victory for Robson’s side would put Aberdeen nine points clear with three games remaining, all-but-securing European football.
But third place is the target Robson is chasing.
He said: “I know Hibs are a good side and it will be a tough game.
“They had a good performance last weekend. I watched the game and I have watched a few of their games. It was a good performance from Hibs.
“They are fighting to get into Europe, like everybody else. They are well-coached and well-drilled.
“They’ll come up here, make the game hard for us and try to play.
“We just need to make sure we perform to the best of our abilities and bring our strengths to the game.
“We just have to make sure we are tactically and organised right and we perform to the best we can.
“If we can do that, we have shown we can win games. If we fall short of that, then we won’t.”
Easter Road mauling not in Robson’s thoughts
Hibs demolished the Dons 6-0 at Easter Road when the sides last met in what proved to be former manager Jim Goodwin’s last game in charge.
Robson, however, is not interested in reliving the past.
He said: “It is not something I have thought about. It had nothing to do with me – I wasn’t even the manager of the club at the time.
“I don’t think the players will be thinking about something that happened 12 weeks ago. Or they shouldn’t be.
“It hasn’t entered my mind or my players’.
“We have had 11 games since then, which have been tough. We have had to be tactically good at it.
“There has been loads and loads going on and we have tried to fight our way up the league.”
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