Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou has lifted the lid on the moments before he took the job at Paradise.
Now a bona fide fan favourite, there was some understandable, and much over the top cynicism about the former Australia manager. Despite winning titles in the J League and A League, he hadn’t done anything in Europe yet.
However, the Celtic board were clearly convinced they had the right man for the job. And the rapid manner with which they offered it to him has been revealed by Postecoglou.
Speaking to Australian broadcaster Gerard Whateley, Ange Postecoglou said [Whateley]:
“I was literally an unknown, but I got the feeling that Celtic supporters were not going to be told who they’re supposed to embrace and who not to. The more people were painting me as this unknown, that shouldn’t be where I am, the more they took personal offence and said “he’s one of ours!”.
“It was a real weird time, because it did happen pretty quickly. I’d made no secret of the fact that at some point, the ultimate destination was to get to Europe and get an opportunity to manage a big club.
“After three and a half years in Japan, I had a couple of missed opportunities. Part of me was kind of thinking well, maybe it isn’t going to happen. Or, not going to happen in the time frame I was looking at.”
Ange Postecoglou on the days before taking Celtic job
Postecoglou continued [Whateley]:
“Literally, one day to the next, I got a phone call. I had a chat to a couple of key people in the club and within 24 hours, they made a decision to offer me the position.
“And then it seemed to drag. It took about two weeks to sort everything out. That was probably the most excruciating time, because once the decision was made, I just wanted to get on a plane and get over there.
“It was frustrating at the time but it happened real quickly.”
Quite a dramatic time for Ange Postecoglou, then. What’s sad is that he almost ruled out a move to the kind of European club he wanted. It wasn’t going to happen for him, he thought.
Yet, it did, and so far it’s been a perfect fit. Ange’s demeanour, humility and honesty mean he’s able to connect well with supporters. His football, meanwhile, is relentlessly attacking, with nods to the Lisbon Lions in its intensity.
So far, so good. And while we still have ground to make up on our rivals in the Premiership, the signs look good for the future. With Ange at the helm, there’s real belief in what Celtic could achieve in years to come.
Read more: The big talking point that went unaddressed at Celtic AGM today
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