According to The Times, Ange Postecoglou is set to become the next manager of Celtic Football Club.
The report states that, barring any last-minute hitches, the Greek-Australian will be announced “early next week”.
It’s some welcome news after over 100 days without a permanent manager. The club hired John Kennedy as interim boss after Neil Lennon’s resignation on the 24th of February [Celtic FC]. Postecoglou was a left-field shout when reports emerged of Celtic’s interest. The former Australia and Brisbane Roar boss was a record-setter in his homeland, while he’s also embarked on an impressive spell in Japan. Yokohama F Marinos, with the 12th biggest budget in the J-League, secured a title under Postecoglou in 2019 [ABC].
While there could still be a hiccup over Postecoglou’s UEFA license – or lack thereof – the former Australia manager shouldn’t have any significant issues taking over. According to Football Coaches Australia executive director Phil Moss [Sydney Morning Herald]:
“Would it be a deal-breaker? I’d like to think it won’t be. On an interim basis you can bridge the gap between AFC qualifications and UEFA qualifications.
“During the time you keep the interim certificate valid, you are completing your UEFA Pro Diploma. Currently, our AFC Pro diploma relates to UEFA A Licence.”
A brave new era for Ange Postecoglou and Celtic? Or a risky mistake?
The first challenge Ange Postecoglou will have is winning over sceptical supporters. Eddie Howe was the number 1 candidate for both the club and most of the support. His screeching U-Turn will still rankle with supporters for a while yet.
Also, the Euro-centric view that supporters across the continent tend to have means that accolades in Australia and Japan aren’t held in the same esteem as they are in Asia and Oceania. Postecoglou isn’t just carrying his own pressures; he represents a footballing culture. There’s real hope that the Greek-Aussie boss can open a door for tacticians from outside of Europe and South America.
As Australian football journalist Vince Rugari explained to 67 Hail Hail:
“I’m not a Celtic fan, there’s lots of other Australians who aren’t Celtic fans, but we’re going to be Celtic fans over this journey. Because we are as invested as you guys in this. We need this to work for our country, we want to see our best guy gain the recognition that we think is massively overdue.”
Of course, it being Celtic, we can’t say anything for sure until we see the manager holding a scarf over his head. However, it seems that at last, the board have their man.
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