There will be a lot of Celtic eyes on the Europa League final between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United on Wednesday night.
The simple reason is that Ange Postecoglou will be in the Spurs dugout, looking to end their near two-decade wait for a trophy, and their first European title in over 40 years.
Postecoglou won trophies for fun at Celtic, but that’s because Scotland’s most successful club is used to lifting silverware again and again and again.
But what Postecoglou faces in Bilbao is perhaps one of his biggest tests yet, because of Tottenham’s long-wait for a trophy, and the position they find themselves in on the Premier League stage.
There is a lot of talk around his future, and how he could be booted out if the London club aren’t victorious against an equally abject Manchester United side.
There are even suggestions that the powers that be at Tottenham will part ways with Postecoglou, even if they lift the trophy at the end of it all, but the Celtic hero had a brilliant response to it all.
Photo by Crystal Pix/MB Media/Getty Images
Photo by Crystal Pix/MB Media/Getty Images
Ange Postecoglou mentions Celtic as Tottenham prepare for the Europa League final against Manchester United
It would be crazy for Spurs to, win the Europa League, but then still part ways with Postecoglou.
MORE CELTIC STORIES
This isn’t a club used to winning trophies, and it does also get them into the Champions League, but crazier things have happened in football.
Either way, Postecoglou mentioned winning the Treble at Celtic, before heading for the exit door and taking the gig at Spurs, as he told his pre-match press conference.
“No (I haven’t discussed my future with the Tottenham players before the Europa League final) because that wouldn’t be really helpful in what is before us right now,” said Postecoglou.
“I have said to the lads from day one, ‘nothing is guaranteed in life. Nothing is guaranteed in sport. So, you just got to try and make sure you take every opportunity before you. That’s what I have done in my whole career’.
“I have been in this position before, where the big game was the last game I managed. It’s not unusual terrority for me, and I have always navigated that pretty well. For me, nothing is more important than my responsibility to this football club and its fans.
“I qualified for the World Cup. I left. Won the Treble with Celtic and left. Won at Brisbane and left. It’s actually more common than you think.”
The last time Postecoglou faced Manchester United…and then left
It’s slightly eerie that Postecoglou has faced Manchester United before, and then headed for the exit door straight after.
This wasn’t exactly the Europa League final, and he was a much smaller fish back then with less talk around him, but it did happen.
Back in 2000, as the manager of South Melbourne and facing the great Sir Alex Ferguson, who had recently won the Treble, Postecoglou’s side lost 2-0, and then he left.
Date Competition Season MD Home Team Result Away Team
January 11, 2000 Club World Cup 2000 Group Stage Man Utd 2:0