Juande Ramos has fond memories of the time thousands of Celtic fans descended on the city of Seville to watch their team battled vainly for the UEFA Cup in an epic final against Porto.

Now, four years later, the Sevilla boss has vowed to return the favour by ensuring a night to remember when his own players compete for the same prize in Glasgow tomorrow night.

The current holders take on fellow Spanish club Espanyol at Hampden, hoping for a repeat of last year's triumph when they thrashed Middlesbrough 4-0 in the final.

And Ramos believes the host nation can expect a match to rival that balmy night in Spain when Celtic were denied the silverware only after extra-time to Jose Mourinho's Porto.

'I certainly remember it was a beautiful match for Seville,' he said.

'There were no problems with the Celtic fans who went with the team. Despite the result, they were all happy.

'Celtic and Sevilla fans are very similar, they are red-hot football fans and they create a nice atmosphere.

'I think Sevilla will give back the same care and friendship as Celtic. We must also remember it was a great match and I hope we will see another great match tomorrow.'

Real Madrid are the only club to have retained the UEFA Cup for two consecutive seasons, in 1985 and 1986, and Ramos insists being current holders does not necessarily make Sevilla favourites to come out on top again.

He said: 'Last year the competition was great for us and, of course, we want to repeat that victory.

'We are glad to be in the final again but we have no advantage because of last year. We have a 50-50 chance.

'We must have respect for our opponents and we know they will try to make life very difficult for us.

'To be here for a second time in two consecutive years was a tall order.

'It is important for the city of Seville and we are extremely proud to have the opportunity to write another page of our history.'

It may have been a long, hard season for Sevilla, who sit third in La Liga and have also reached the Copa del Rey final, but Ramos has no fears about fatigue affecting his players tomorrow night.

He said: 'It's in our hands - or our legs if you want to put it that way - and our motivation goes beyond fatigue.

'It has been a long but beautiful season.

'We will do all we can to do our best in all three competitions and give the fans what they desire.

'We know we are fighting in three competitions and that means wear and tear and fatigue. But which one should we not concentrate on?

'It's been important for us because the three competitions give every player the opportunity to play and that means extra motivation for the team.'

He added: 'The final is only one match and we should have the necessary stamina to avoid being surprised by Espanyol.

'We need to be at our best for a repeat of last year and to avoid disappointment.'

In contrast, the UEFA Cup is Espanyol's only hope of silverware this season and Ramos expects them to battle tooth and nail tomorrow night to avoid ending the campaign empty-handed.

He said: 'Espanyol have had difficult matches against Werder Bremen and Benfica but managed to beat them quite easily.

'They have concentrated entirely on this competition and maybe didn't concentrate so much on the league.

'Their best performances have been in the cup and we know it's important for them to win it.'