Celtic boss quits prompting Ange return speculation
Anna Harrington |
Calls for Ange Postecoglou to return to Celtic will intensify after manager Brendan Rodgers resigned from the Scottish giants.
Former boss Martin O’Neill and Shaun Maloney have been put in temporary charge at Parkhead following the departure of Rodgers who succeeded Postecoglou.
The move has prompted swift speculation that Postecoglou could return to the club which he led in two highly successful seasons, before moving to England in 2023 to join Tottenham.
He was recently sacked from his second Premier League job with Nottingham Forest.
Rodgers’ second spell at Celtic ended after Sunday’s 3-1 Scottish Premiership defeat at Hearts left them eight points adrift of the Edinburgh side.
The beleaguered champions have dropped 10 points in their opening nine matches.
Postecoglou won both back-to-back Scottish League titles with Celtic and the domestic treble in 2022-23 before moving to Spurs.
Despite leading them to a breakthrough Europa League triumph earlier this year he was sacked shortly afterwards, primarily due to a poor league record.
The 60-year-old then lasted only eight winless games at Forest before being dumped for the second time in five months.
It seems more likely that Postecoglou will have a break before venturing back into management, but he is clearly already a red-hot favourite for the Celtic gig – if he wants it.
Former Hoops striker Chris Sutton on Tuesday wrote “bring back big Ange” on social media platform X.
The Melburnian has previously indicated he wouldn’t repeat stints at clubs.
“I feel like whenever I’ve left, I’ve left on the back of success and I like to leave that memory as it is,” Postecoglou told Football Scotland in 2023.
“I just don’t think there’s any real purpose … I wouldn’t see myself going back anywhere I’ve been but who knows?”
A club statement late on Monday read: “Celtic Football Club can confirm that football manager Brendan Rodgers has today tendered his resignation.
“It has been accepted by the club and Brendan will leave his role with immediate effect.
“The club appreciates Brendan’s contribution to Celtic during his two very successful periods at the club.
“The process to appoint a new permanent manager is under way and the club will update supporters further on this as soon as possible.”
Owner Dermot Desmond later released an explosive statement slamming Rodgers and suggesting his recent words and actions had been “divisive, misleading, and self-serving”.
Rodgers is yet to respond to the statement.
AAP
