Pep Guardiola’s Glowing Acclaim for New Tottenham Manager Ange Postecoglou
Pep Guardiola expressed his approval of Ange Postecoglou being chosen as the new manager of Tottenham , stating that another outstanding manager is joining the English Premier League.
Guardiola made these comments during a press conference before Manchester City’s upcoming attempt to secure a European treble in the UEFA Champions League final against Inter Milan on Sunday morning (AEST).
Despite Pep Guardiola often offering compliments to opposing teams and their coaches, his praise for Ange Postecoglou is not mere empty words. This is particularly significant due to the history between Guardiola and Postecoglou, as well as their shared dedication to attacking football.
In 2019, Guardiola’s Manchester City faced off against Postecoglou’s Yokohama F. Marinos in a friendly match. This encounter, which Guardiola described as an “incredible test” at the time, holds significance as Yokohama F. Marinos is partially owned by the City Football Group. The experience of facing Postecoglou’s team likely contributed to Guardiola’s genuine appreciation for the Australian manager’s abilities and style of play.
Despite Manchester City emerging victorious with a 3-1 scoreline, they found themselves outperformed in terms of ball possession by Yokohama F. Marinos.
The J.League side managed to win 58 percent of the possession during the match, which undoubtedly left a lasting impression on Guardiola. The fact that Yokohama F. Marinos displayed such dominance on the ball against Guardiola’s Manchester City likely contributed to his recognition of Ange Postecoglou’s managerial prowess.
“Another exceptional manager is coming,” Guardiola said after the announcement of Postecoglou’s four-year contract with Spurs.
🗣️ "He will do an incredible job"
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) June 6, 2023
Pep Guardiola believes Tottenham's newly-appointed head coach Ange Postecoglou is an exceptional manager 🙌 pic.twitter.com/lsOS3SHKmz
“I was lucky to have met him in Tokyo years ago when he was manager of Yokohama, one of our clubs in the City Football Group, and was an interesting chat, [we] have a good relation, [he’s] done well for Celtic in Glasgow, made an incredible job.
“And he will do an incredible job for Spurs. Hopefully, we can score one goal away.”
Guardiola’s concluding statement alluded to the fact that Manchester City has not been able to secure a victory against Tottenham Hotspur since the opening of their new stadium, the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, in 2019.
This remark highlights the anticipation surrounding Ange Postecoglou’s first encounter with Manchester City as the manager of Tottenham Hotspur. Fans can look forward to an exciting and highly anticipated clash between the two teams when the fixtures for the upcoming Premier League season are released next Thursday.
Ange Postecoglou will officially begin his new role as the manager of Tottenham Hotspur on July 1. His first match in charge will be a friendly against West Ham United on July 18, taking place at Perth’s Optus Stadium.
Postecoglou’s appointment has received endorsements from other notable figures in the football world, much like Pep Guardiola. Initially, there were some doubts and skepticism surrounding his links to Tottenham. However, as fans, pundits, and former players have taken the opportunity to delve into his background and achievements, those doubts have largely dissipated.
One such endorsement came from Tottenham icon Ledley King, who spent his entire playing career at the club and later served as an assistant under José Mourinho for two years. King expressed his support for Postecoglou’s arrival with a concise tweet that simply stated, “Welcome to the club.”
Another Tottenham legend, Osvaldo Ardiles, initially misspelled Ange Postecoglou’s name as ‘Ange Costepoglou.’ However, he quickly corrected himself and warmly welcomed Postecoglou to the club. Ardiles expressed his well wishes and support, extending his regards from himself and all the club’s supporters.
Celtic captain Callum McGregor, who played under Postecoglou for two successful seasons in Scotland, shared a heartfelt farewell message. McGregor acknowledged the achievements and trophies they secured together during their time at Celtic and expressed his gratitude and best wishes to Postecoglou as he embarks on his new journey with Tottenham Hotspur.
“It has been great to work with the gaffer over the past two seasons and to achieve the success that we have, especially achieving yet another treble at the weekend,” he said in a statement.
“In fact, to win five out of six domestic trophies is a tremendous achievement and that is testament to the real focus and relentlessness of the manager, the players and our whole backroom team who have all worked so hard.
“We have delivered something very special to our fans and done it under the manager’s direction by playing an exciting and attractive brand of football. As all the players do, I wish Ange great success in his next challenge.”
Pep Guardiola’s Glowing Acclaim for New Tottenham Manager Ange Postecoglou
