Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou has detailed what his side learned from last season’s UEFA Europa League campaign.
Upon the 57-year-old’s arrival at Parkhead, the club were set to enter a dramatic rebuilding period, which included a large chunk of the playing squad.
With how much work needed to be done in a short space of time last summer, it is fair to say not every Celtic fan was confident of achieving qualification to the top European competitions.
However, Ange Postecoglou achieved that feat, qualifying for the Europe League group stages after eliminating Jablonec and AZ Alkmaar in the qualifying rounds.
The Hoops were then rewarded with a tough group in the competition, as they were tasked with taking on Bayer Leverkusen, Real Betis and Ferencvaros.
Of course, looking forward almost one year later, the Bhoys have come on some distance from those opening few months of the 2021/22 campaign and are now preparing to take part in the Champions League group stages this season.
Speaking in an interview with Australian media outlet Stan Sports Football, Postecoglou has reflected upon what his team learned from those testing fixtures in last year’s tournament.
The former Socceroos boss insisted that his squad ‘learned a lot’ from playing their football against some top European sides.
He said [@StandSportFC]: “Last year being in Europe, we went out there to test ourselves; we went out there to measure ourselves.
“Whilst we didn’t have success in the kind of way people measure success, I still felt there was progress for us in terms of going out there and knowing what our capabilities are, what potential weaknesses we have.
“We got spanked by Leverkusen 4 at home 4-0. But, we ended up winning three group games in the Europa League, and for me, everything I do in terms of the way I want us to play our football is about trying to win things. Win games, win trophies, be successful.
“And, whilst that’s a bit of a longer road to take, I think sometimes in terms of getting your ultimate reward, I still felt it was progress for us last year.
“We fell out of; we had a couple of disappointing games against Bodo/Glimt in the second half of the year. But, at the same time, I made no bones that I was concentrating on winning the league at the time because I just felt that’s where our biggest sort of reward laid.
“But, we learned a lot, the players learned a lot. Most importantly, we learned a lot because the players were prepared to measure ourselves by playing our football rather than adjusting our approach.”
Last season’s European experiences will prove crucial for Celtic’s Champions League journey.
As Celtic prepare to take the step up to the Champions League level, it is clear to see that Ange is looking to use his side’s experiences of last season’s Europa League campaign.
Although the Hoops may not have advanced from the group against some top European teams, Postecoglou’s side put in some brave performances, particularly on the road in Spain and Germany.
With the Bhoys making similar trips this season to mainland Europe, it will be about learning from those games against Leverkusen and Betis and taking those experiences across to the up-and-coming fixtures over the next few months.
It is certainly an exciting time to be a Celtic supporter, and I personally cannot wait to embark upon the start of our Champions League journey under Ange in just over a week’s time.
In other news, Former Celtic star sends congratulations message on Instagram to Hoops hat-trick hero.
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