Jens Berthel Askou has been named the new manager of Toulouse.
Widely tipped for the Celtic job after a stellar season at Motherwell, there never appeared to be any interest from the Hoops despite his popularity among the fans and media.
Instead, just five days after the end of the Scottish Premiership season, he has been confirmed as the new manager of the Ligue 1 club from southern France.
Reacting to his appointment, he praised the ‘structure’ and ‘ambition’ of Toulouse.
Have Celtic missed out by not hiring Jens Berthel Askou?
Jens Berthel Askou praises Toulouse ‘structure’ and ‘ambition’
Askou said in his opening statement: “I am extremely happy to join Toulouse FC after having had very good discussions with sporting director Viktor Bezhani and club president Olivier Cloarec.
“The talent within the club, combined with a well-established structure, solid and aligned strategies, quality people, and the ambition to push the boundaries even further, convinced me to join Toulouse FC.
READ MORE: Craig Bellamy a ‘prominent’ Celtic manager candidate, Stephen McGowan says
“I see a bright future ahead of us after the fantastic work done by Carles Martinez Novell to establish the club in a very strong position in Ligue 1, and I am convinced that we have a great opportunity to aim even higher in the years to come.
“I would also like to thank everyone at Motherwell FC for allowing me to develop and grow as a coach in a fantastic environment, which now gives me the opportunity to join a special club in one of Europe’s top five leagues.
“I am now looking forward to getting to know everyone at the club, adapting to the French culture and language, and accelerating the process of building a bold and attacking identity that will excite both the fans and the players.”
Toulouse currently sit 10th in the French top-flight, and were guided into Europe by Askou’s predecessor Carles Martinez Novell in 2023, when they defeated Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool.
They are one of the most data-driven clubs in Europe, using an exclusive data model similar to that of Tony Bloom at Brighton and Hearts.
Askou’s Motherwell were one of the most talked-about clubs in Scotland, wowing pundits and fans alike with their dominant, possession-based brand of football.
I want the next manager of Celtic to be…
Martin O’Neill on ex-Motherwell boss Jens Berthel Askou
Ahead of facing Askou’s Steelmen, current Celtic boss Martin O’Neill said: “I think he’s done really well, really well.
“Yes, they play a nice brand of footballers as well, too, but yes, he deserves a lot of applause.”
However, he then warned: “They play a really nice brand of football, and I think that they still want to try and qualify for Europe, I’m sure…
“But essentially, they’re not playing under that sort of pressure at Motherwell. You can do this, and you can play, and you can lose some matches and still have a really good season.
“It doesn’t happen at this club.”
Receive a digest of our best Celtic content each week direct to your mailbox
