Ange Postecoglou has been appointed as Celtic’s new manager on a 12-month rolling contract.
The 55-year-old replaces Neil Lennon, who resigned in February as the club failed in a bid to win a record 10th consecutive Scottish Premiership title.
The former Australia boss joins from Yokohama F Marinos in Japan.
“The opportunity that has been given to me is one of the greatest honours in football,” said Greece-born Postecoglou.
“The responsibility to lead our magnificent football club into the future is one that I will cherish dearly.”
Celtic turned to Postecoglou after Eddie Howe rejected the opportunity to move to Glasgow, with the club citing “reasons outwith both his and our control”.
Who is Postecoglou?
Postecoglou won back-to-back A-League titles with Brisbane Roar and spent a season with Melbourne Victory before becoming manager of Australia in 2013.
He led the national team at the following year’s World Cup and qualified for Russia 2018 but left in late 2017, moving to Japan, where he won the J-League with Yokohama in 2019.
His main task will be to the regain the Scottish Premiership title after city rivals Rangers halted Celtic’s quest for the historic 10 in a row.
The Australian arrives in the midst of a major rebuild, with chief executive Peter Lawwell being replaced by Dominic McKay, Nick Hammond stepping down as head of football operations and long-serving captain Scott Brown leaving to join Aberdeen.
Postecoglou will need to quarantine on arrival from Japan, while his opening game in charge will be a Champions League second qualifying round tie in July.
‘We want to entertain our fans’
His last game with Yokohama was a surprise cup loss to lower division opposition and he leaves with Marinos sitting third in the J-League, three points off second place with four games in hand.
“I know Celtic is a true way of life for so many people and I know the demands which come with this position – I am ready to do all I can to meet those demands,” said Postecoglou.
“I will be doing everything I can to get our great club back on top and, at the same time, deliver the kind of football which our fans appreciate. We want to entertain our fans and we want to win, these are the objectives which I always set myself and which I now begin work on.
“We have already begun work on our plans for adding to the squad – we aim to bring players of quality to Celtic to enhance the existing core of great talent.”
