Ange Postecoglou

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Article from October



How Ferenc Puskas sculpted Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou's football philosophy and career
Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou spoke about the major influence Hungary and Real Madrid great Ferenc Puskas has had on his career ahead of his side's meeting with Ferencvaros.


Postecoglou played under Puskas for South Melbourne from 1989 to 1992 and formed a close bond before embarking on his own managerial career at the same club.

The Greek-born Australian largely shares a football philosophy with Puskas, who helped transform the game with Hungary and Real, and learnt a lot about leadership from his mentor.

"I was fortunate enough to spend a few years with the great Ferenc Puskas, an absolute gentleman, and someone who holds a very dear place in my heart," Postecoglou said. "He looked after me for two or three years, we had a very close relationship.




I was captain of South Melbourne and he was one of the biggest legends of the game. If you are talking about the greatest ever, he makes that list of players.

"He was just a gentleman. From the moment he wandered through he was just humble. We were constantly pestering him to tell us stories about Real Madrid, what he did at Hampden, what he did at Wembley




He was forever downplaying everything and it just showed you the greatness of the man was just his humility in dealing with people.

"I was lucky because, when he came to Australia his English wasn't great, but he had coached Panathinaikos to a European Cup final. So his Greek was decent. So I acted almost as an interpreter.


"I used to pick him up from his house and drive him to training in my old car, which I was embarrassed about. We swapped stories and his philosophy to football was basically just go out and enjoy yourselves and score goals.

"We used to play with two wingers and he was forever telling our wingers never to come back and defend. I was a full-back so it used to infuriate me, but we won a championship with him.

"I was really sad when he passed away because when he left Australia I wasn't able to reconnect with him when I got older and became a manager myself. I would have loved to thank him personally for the influence he was, as a man as much as he was as a coach."


Postecoglou has brought those lessons to Glasgow as he sets about instilling his attacking style of play.

It certainly highlighted how important as a leader that people believe in you," the 56-year-old said. "We certainly believed in him.

"I am totally different to him. He was the most humble man, where he would just talk with everyone and you could spend hours with him. I am not as social as he was in that respect



But he showed as a leader that you don't have to rule by fear at all times. It was like playing for your grandfather, you just didn't want to let him down. He just had that aura about him.

"That was pretty strong in terms of showing me that as a leader people you are working with need to believe in you as much as your ideas. That was certainly really evident with the atmosphere he created at training and at the club."

 

CELTIC manager Ange Postecoglou has revealed the major influence Hungary and Real Madrid great Ferenc Puskas has had on his career ahead of his side's meeting with Ferencvaros.

Postecoglou played under Puskas for South Melbourne from 1989 to 1992 and formed a close bond before embarking on his own managerial career at the same club

 

Another cracking interview wae the big man. Obviously everyone always gives it the 'could listen to him all day', but it really is true. Guy is just fascinating.

Also noticed the wheels on the goal frame in the background...

 

Love Ange, ihi

 

Class viewing

 

Open Goal boys gets some slagging for some reason. Enjoy it and they do no one any harm so don’t really get the hate. But it’s cool to hate popular things these days so maybe that has something to do with it…


But they are the only Scottish media folk who Ange seems to get properly along with. He speaks to them like he does to the Oz media which is great. Instead of the pish SMSM with their crap bitter questions.

 

Cracking interview.

 

Is this true? I've always really enjoyed their stuff, nothing else like it in Scottish football. I remember when I first saw the Si Ferry interviews I couldn't believe some of the stories he was getting out of folk - so different to the usual media *.

 

Yeah they get a slagging on twitter and that. Even their thread on here few folk not for it at all. I always think its usually us or them, which ever isn’t doing to well at the time.

Yeah there is nothing like it in Scottish football. Some great interviews. Their weekly pod is a laugh aswell, bit of a carry on at times but nothing different that any of us do when with mates.

 

I remember when I was about 20, me and some friends were denied entry to a pub in Perth because one of my mates was wearing a 'soccer' top and it might encourage trouble. I was thinking:
A) We're in Australia ffs
and B) It's a Newcastle shirt, there are no Sunderland fans here

 

Doesn’t need to be a Sunderland fan to knock a Newcastle fan spark out.

 

He's a beautiful human being.

 

This was so eloquent. The open goal interview had a lot of great stuff. Some of it you have to read inbetween the lines from Ange's responses.

 

Just finished it. He is so comfortable with the banter. His demeanour with any interviewer except the Scottish media is stark.

 

No long in just watched it..

What a quality interview that was. Feeds you that little bit more with each one. Never boring..

Wish it was longer. That top shelf line from Ferry was good