Celtic appoint Ange Postecoglou as new manager after Eddie Howe talks collapsed

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Celtic have confirmed the appointment of former Australia national team boss Ange Postecoglou after detailing their failure to agree terms with Eddie Howe in a statement.

The Scottish Premiership runners-up missed out on the chance of a historic ten titles in a row this season as Steven Gerrard and Rangers went on to be crowned champions unbeaten.

Neil Lennon had been replaced by John Kennedy in the role after a poor start to the new season, but failed to oversee any success during what was their first trophyless season since 2009/10.

Postecoglou, who had been working in Japan with Yokohama F. Marinos, managed the Socceroos between 2013 and 2017 following a successful period with Brisbane Roar and a short stint at Melbourne Victory.

The 55-year-old leaves his current role having led them to their first J. League title in 15 years back in 2019, they currently sit fourth in the table after an eight-placed finish in 2020.

The appointment of Postecoglou is a groundbreaking one in the history of Australian football, with Celtic supporters to expect bold and dynamic football with the task of reclaiming the title.

The decision comes after Celtic told fans of their failure to appoint Howe, who left Bournemouth at the end of the 2019/20 campaign following their relegation to the Championship.

The club revealed on Thursday morning: "Celtic Football Club is delighted to announce that it has appointed Ange Postecoglou to the position of Football Manager.

"Ange joins Celtic from Yokohama F. Marinos, where he has delivered the J League title. Previously he has also won Premiership and Championship Titles in Australia’s A League.

"As Head Coach of the Australian National team, Ange lifted the Asian Cup in 2015, the first time the country had ever won this title. Ange also managed the Australian national team at the FIFA World Cup in 2014 in Brazil and led Australia to qualification in 2018 in Russia."

Having said last month: "Following very positive and detailed discussions with Eddie Howe, with the belief that he would be an excellent candidate for the position of Celtic Manager, we allowed time for the process, given he’d previously made it clear he was not looking to return to management until this summer at the earliest.

"We can now confirm that Eddie will not be joining the Club, for reasons outwith both his and Celtic’s control. We wish Eddie success for the future.

"As part of the ongoing process we have engaged with a number of candidates.

"We fully appreciate our fans will be seeking clarity on this matter and we aim, very shortly, to announce the appointment of a Manager with the quality and desire to take Celtic forward and bring further success to our supporters."

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• Celtic FC
• Scottish Premiership
• Neil Lennon

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