Strachan made a surprise appearance at the tribute match to takeabowand was given a warm round of applause by home fans who had not been unanimous in their support for the former Aberdeen and Manchester United midfielder despite his success with the club.
And when the opera was over and soprano Diana Damrau stepped forward to takea solo bow as the heroine, Violetta, many members of the near-capacity crowd leaped to their feet in one of the more heartfelt and sustained standing ovations in recent memory.