Real Madrid are in Glasgow for their Champions League clash with Celtic this Tuesday evening, the first meeting between two historic giants of European football since 1980. A curious link between the two has emerged though.
Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou was heavily influenced by Real Madrid and Hungary legend Ferenc Puskas, who was part of Los Blancos’ early success in European competition in the sixties.
Postecoglou, born in Greece in 1967, moved to Australia at the age of five due to coup in his native country. He embarked on a solid but modest career in Australian football, when towards the end of it Puskas arrived.
The Hungarian took over South Melbourne in 1989 and Puskas was not given to English. He did however have a knowledge of Greek, which led to Postecoglou becoming his translator and chauffeur as per Relevo.
“It was a dilapidated car, I was ashamed. But on the way he told me many stories about Madrid. I asked all the questions I could,” Postecoglou told FourFourTwo.
⚪️ Puskas le ‘empapó’ de madridismo. “Le hice todas las preguntas que pude”, confesó.
🗨️ Pero también le influyó con su manera de manejar el vestuario: "Sus órdenes eran simples: salir, divertirse y marcar goles". Con esa idea conquistaron la liga en la 1990-91. pic.twitter.com/YEfSweuqN3
— Relevo (@relevo) September 5, 2022
“His orders were simple: go out, enjoy yourself and score goals.”
Postecoglou and Puskas ended up forming a close relationship and the former has since based a lot of his managerial traits on an attractive brand of football that Puskas advocated for.
The tie at Celtic Park is sure to be an entertaining tie as Postecoglou tests that style against one of the most lethal sides in European football.
