Ange Postecoglou has been confirmed as the new manager of Tottenham Hotspur, leaving Celtic to take charge at the English Premier League club.
Postecoglou agreed terms with Spurs on Monday and after compensation was agreed with Celtic, the 57-year-old signed a four-year contract to finalise the move.
Celtic chief executive, Michael Nicholson said: “It has been a pleasure working with Ange, a great football manager and a good man. He has served the club with such energy and determination and delivered a phenomenal level of success.
“I would like to thank him for all he has given us and I wish Ange and his family the very best for the future in everything they do.
“Of course, we wanted Ange to stay with us at Celtic and while there is real disappointment that we are losing him, he has decided he wants to look at a new challenge, which we respect.”
Celtic say they have already begun the process of naming Postecoglou’s replacement and aim to complete the process as soon as possible.
A Spurs statement read: “We are delighted to announce the appointment of Ange Postecoglou as our new First Team Head Coach.
“Becoming the first Australian to manage in the Premier League, Ange will join us on 1 July on a four-year contract.”
Daniel Levy, Spurs chairman, said: “Ange brings a positive mentality and a fast, attacking style of play. He has a strong track record of developing players and an understanding of the importance of the link from the academy – everything that is important to our club.
“We are excited to have Ange join us as we prepare for the season ahead.”
Tottenham have been searching for a new manager since sacking Antonio Conte at the end of March. His assistant Cristian Stellini was placed in temporary charge but was also fired after less than two months as interim manager. Former Spurs player Ryan Mason took the reins until the end of the season but the ambitious London side finished eighth in the Premier League, 11 points off a Champions League place and with no European football to look forward to next season.
After being linked with numerous managers including Julian Nagelsmann, Vincent Kompany, Xabi Alonso and Arne Slot, Spurs have now settled on Postecoglou as their target after his achievements in Glasgow caught the eye.
Postecoglou arrived at Celtic in 2021, joining from Yokohama F Marinos as a surprise successor to Neil Lennon, after Celtic’s prolonged pursuit of Eddie Howe failed to produce an agreement.
With a change of chief executive, the departure of a number of high-profile players including captain Scott Brown, and a need to lift the support after a trophyless season, Celtic were in a state of upheaval when Postecoglou arrived. The Australian oversaw a rapid turnaround both in the squad and the style of play.
Despite mixed results early in the season, the team hit their stride under the new manager and clawed back a deficit to overtake Rangers and claim the Premiership title. The League Cup was also won and the attacking, high-energy style of football made Postecoglou a hugely popular figure with the club’s support.
Postecoglou’s second season in charge saw the team compete in the Champions League group stages before sweeping the board in Scottish competition, lifting the League Cup and successfully defending the Premiership trophy before defeating Inverness to win the Scottish Cup on Sunday.
That made Postecoglou only the fifth Celtic manager to win a treble, following Jock Stein, Martin O’Neill, Brendan Rodgers and Neil Lennon.
After lifting the trophy at Hampden on Saturday night, he refused to be drawn on the Tottenham links, saying he wanted to take time to appreciate the success he had enjoyed this season.
“I deserve to enjoy this,” he said.
“The people around me deserve to enjoy this. You know, whatever other people want to focus on and talk about.
“I’m not going to miss enjoying this moment with, you know, this group of people, but also with my family, my friends, all those people closest to me.
“Everyone works hard, makes sacrifices to enjoy these moments. And I understand that other people who aren’t invested in it want to ask these questions. But for me right now, the most important thing is that, we reflect and just be in the moment of creating something special.
“Again, I deserve to enjoy this. You know, I deserve to enjoy this moment because irrespective of what happens in the future, why would you not want to enjoy this moment just for what it is, something historic?”
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