Postecoglou out to shake 'Aussie' moniker at Celtic
Ange Postecoglou wants his coaching credentials, not his nationality, to be the focus as the former Australia manager looks to guide Celtic back to the top of Scottish football.
Celtic’s shock move for Postecoglou was heralded as a big win for Australian football, with the hope his appointment could pave the way for more Australians - particularly managers - abroad, but the 55 year-old wants the focus to remain on his work, not his nationality.
“It’s actually what I’ve been trying to dispel for the last 15 years of my career," Postecoglou said. “I didn’t want to be seen as an Australian coach, I just wanted to be seen as any other manager and be judged on my record and the achievements I had.”
Celtic echoes these sentiments, signing Postecoglou for his attack-minded philosophy and proven track record of success.
Postecoglou has won five league titles in Australia and Japan, while guiding the Socceroos to AFC Asian Cup glory in 2015. In his most recent stint at J.League powerhouse Yokohama F. Marinos, he lead the club to its first domestic title in 15 years.
Postecoglou may not carry the gravitas of some of his Celtic predecessors, including Kenny Dalglish, John Barnes and Brendan Rodgers - but the former South Melbourne, Brisbane Roar and Melbourne Victory coach believes what he can bring to Celtic as a coach trumps name or nationality.
“I think once you tag somebody with some sort of stigma that because I’m Australian, what I’m doing is unbelievable, I think it works against everything I’ve been trying to advocate – and that is that it shouldn’t matter where you come from,” he said. “I hope one day people will just see me as a successful manager and purely look at my record.”
Postecoglou is confident his coaching style can guide Celtic back to the top of Scottish football, declaring in his first live press conference as Celtic manager: "I bring here what I bring to every club that I’ve worked with – a clear idea of how I want to play and where that success comes from."
“If we get the fundamentals right, if we play our football, we’ll have a good chance at success. For me, that’s a day-to-day proposition. Every club I’ve managed, the focus has been on making sure every day we’re getting better.”
“At the end of the race, we’ll lift our heads, and hopefully we’re in first place.”
If Ange can succeed in Glasgow, he believes it will show other clubs the untapped talent on offer outside the well-trodden pathways of Europe.
“Hopefully if I happen to be successful clubs around the world will start opening their minds when they’re seeking talent on and off the field they will look beyond traditional markets.”