Who is Ange Postecoglou? Tottenham new manager's style of play, tactics, career record and Spurs contract

Ange Postecoglou has been confirmed as the new manager of Tottenham Hotspur, signing a four year deal with the club.

Spurs have been searching for a long-term replacement for Antonio Conte after interim spells for both Christian Stillini and Ryan Mason at the end of last season. The North London club endured a disappointing season last time out and are set to experience life without European football for the first time since the 2009/10 campaign.

Postecoglou, who leaves Celtic after securing a domestic treble north of the border, is highly regarded and his Celtic Park departure comes as a huge blow to large sections of their fanbase. Postecoglou stock has risen following success with Celtic and his exit seemed inevitable with Spurs leading the charge to secure his signature.

He had been eyed up by several Premier League clubs in recent months, including the now relegated trio of Southampton, Leicester City and Leeds United, before agreeing to join Spurs today (6 June 2023). But who is Ange Postecoglou and what can Tottenham fans expect from their new manager? Here is everything you need to know.

Who is Ange Postecoglou?

Ange Postecoglou is a Greek-Australian football manager who arrives in the Premier League after a two year spell with Scottish champions Celtic. Postecoglou was born in Greece on 27 August 1965 and he emigrated to Australia when he was just five years old.

Postecoglou enjoyed a 10-year playing career from 1984 to 1994 and he played as a defender in the Australian football league. He represented the Socceroos at international level and won a total of four international caps.

Ange Postecoglou’s managerial career

Ange Postecoglou began his managerial career at his former club South Melbourne in 1996 and lifted the top-flight title on two occasions during his four year stint at the club. The former defender later acted as coach for Australia’s under 17’s and under 20 teams between 2000 and 2007.

Postecoglou then returned to the Australian top-flight in 2009 and lifted two top-flight titles in three seasons with Brisbane Roar.

In 2013, Postecoglou was appointed as the manager of the Australian national team. He was tasked with rejuvenating the team which was deemed to be too reliant on the golden generation of 2006. Postecoglou successfully qualified for the 2014 World Cup but his side failed to win any of their three games in a difficult group containing Spain, Netherlands and Chile.

Australia were crowned AFC Asia Cup champions a year later for the first time in their history and they defeated South Korea in the 2015 final. Postecoglou remained in charge of Australia for a further two years but he resigned in November 2017, just two weeks after a successful qualification campaign for the 2018 World Cup.

Postecoglou returned to management the following year and he enjoyed a three year spell in Japan with the Yokohama F.Marinos. In 2019 he guided the club to their first top-flight title in 15 years, whilst also becoming the first ever Australian to win the title in Japan.

Postecoglou’s time at Celtic

Ange Postecoglou’s success at international level and Asia caught the attention of Scottish giants Celtic and he agreed to join them in 2021.

The Glasgow club appointed Postecoglou on a 12-month rolling contract and they were hoping to reclaim the Scottish title. Postecoglou admitted he was seen as a “joke” when he took over, with Celtic having just finished 25 points behind their arch-rivals Rangers.

Postecoglou succeeded in his first season and Celtic were crowned as both the Scottish Premiership and Scottish League cup champions in 2021/22, losing just three league games all season.

Celtic continued to progress in Postecoglou’s second season and he re-established their place as the dominant force in Scotland by winning the domestic treble.

In doing so Postecoglou followed in the footsteps of Jock Stein, Martin O’Neill, Brendan Rodgers and Neil Lennon - who all secured domestic clean sweeps during their time in the Celtic dugout.

What can Tottenham fans expect from Ange Postecoglou?

Ange Postecoglou will become the first ever Australian to manage in the Premier League and he has earned a number of plaudits for his exciting and attacking brand of football.

At Celtic, Postecoglou typically used a 433 formation, meaning there were always a pair of attacking full backs on the pitch. Intriguingly, instead of instructing the wide defenders to go high and overlap around the outside, he encourages his full backs to occupy central areas to create further space for his wide attackers.

The narrow full backs were utilised to help Celtic dominate possession and overload the central areas of the pitch. Postecoglou’s teams are renowned for dominating possession and they have been praised for their fluid movements and short passing style.