Known for hisheavily attacking style of play, dubbed "Angeball", Postecoglou managedBrisbane Roar andMelbourne Victory in theA-League, winning the Premiership in 2011 and the Championship in 2011 and 2012 with Brisbane Roar. He was the men's senior national team manager from 2013 to 2017, winning theAFC Asian Cup in2015 and also going to the2014 FIFA World Cup. He won theJ1 League withYokohama F. Marinos in2019, and then won five trophies (including twoleague titles) in two seasons with Scottish sideCeltic. He became head coach of Premier League clubTottenham Hotspur in 2023, where he won theUEFA Europa League in2025, marking the club's first trophy since 2008 and its first European trophy since 1984, before being dismissed as the triumph came amid a historically poor domestic performancethat season. In September 2025, Postecoglou was appointed manager ofNottingham Forest, but was sacked after 39 days having failed to win any of his eight matches in charge.
Angelos Postecoglou[7] was born on 27 August 1965[8] inNea Filadelfeia, a suburb of Athens, Greece, to a family that migrated from theAlaşehir district ofManisa during thepopulation exchange between Turkey and Greece in 1923.[9][10] Nea Filadelfeia, a settlement founded by families who had migrated from Alaşehir, Manisa, meant New Alaşehir.[11] After his father, Dimitris ("Jim"), lost his business following the1967 Greek military coup, the Postecoglou family migrated to Australia in 1970, when he was five years old. He grew up inMelbourne,Victoria.[12][13][14] At the age of 10, his parents changed his surname to "Postekos", remarking: "It was a fad in those days to shorten your name if you were Greek, so that's what they did." Although Postekos is still his surname legally, he opts for Postecoglou.[1][15]
As a player, he was involved in their1984 and1990–91 titles, the latter as captain in a penalty shootout win over rivalsMelbourne Croatia.[18][19] He was coached by HungarianFerenc Puskás, a renowned player whom his father had told him about as a child.[20] According to Postecoglou, Puskás played a4–3–3 formation rigid full-backs and attacking wingers. Postecoglou built on this strategy in his own coaching; however, his use of attacking full backs in a non-traditional inverted position differs from Puskás.[21]
A knee injury prematurely ended Postecoglou's NSL career at the age of 27. In 2000, he went on to be named as the starting left back in South Melbourne's team of the century as voted by fans and an expert panel.[22]
Postecoglou representedAustralia at senior level four times between 1986 and 1988. Prior to this, he represented Australia at youth level in 1985.[26]
His international debut came on 3 August 1986 during a 1–1 draw againstCzechoslovakia.[27] The only other international opponent he ever played against wasNew Zealand, playing during both legs of the 1988Trans-Tasman Cup which Australia won 4–1 on aggregate.[28]
Following his retirement, Postecoglou took up the role of an assistant coach atSouth Melbourne under coaches Jim Pyrgolios andFrank Arok. He gained the head coaching position in 1996, following the firing of Arok. He took charge of South Melbourne's final three matches of the1995–96 National Soccer League season before being made permanent coach in June 1996.[31][32]
After the 1999–2000 NSL season, he stood down from the South Melbourne coaching role when he was appointed coach of theAustralian youth team.[17] He is the only person to have been involved in all four of South Melbourne's NSL title-winning teams, the first two as a player and the latter two as coach.[citation needed]
Following his domestic coaching success, Postecoglou became coach of Australia's youth sides in May 2000.[34][35] During his tenure, he played a role in identifying and developing Australian players.[36][37] Postecoglou was involved in an on-air argument with football punditCraig Foster on the television showThe World Game.[38][39] He was replaced as coach in February 2007 after Australia failed to qualify for the2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup. After his departure as coach of the Australian youth teams,[40] Postecoglou worked as a football pundit forFox Sports and as an elite consultant toFootball Federation Victoria.[citation needed]
Feeling that his much-publicised argument with Foster had made him unemployable, Postecoglou coachedPanachaiki in theGreek third division, andWhittlesea Zebras back in Melbourne, while running coaching clinics in the city.[41]
The 4–0 win against Adelaide United in round 13 was highly praised in the media as some of the best football the A-League has ever seen.[48][49] Postecoglou led the Roar to the Premiership and Championship in the2010–11 season, winning theGrand Final 4–2 on penalties against theCentral Coast Mariners in front of 52,168 people atLang Park. The Roar only lost one game all season and went on a 36-game unbeaten run, which broke the previous Australian football record.[50] On 18 March 2011, he signed a two-year extension with the club until the 2013–14 season.[51][52]
In the2011–12 season, Brisbane Roar became the first team to win back-to-back A-League championships and Postecoglou became the most successful Australian domestic football coach, with four national titles.[53]
On 24 April 2012, Postecoglou announced his resignation as head coach of Brisbane Roar. Postecoglou left the Roar after two-and-a-half years, during which he led the club to back-to-back A-League championships, a premiership and consecutive qualification for theAFC Champions League.[54]
On 26 April 2012, it was announced that Postecoglou had signed a three-year contract withA-League clubMelbourne Victory as head coach.[55] His first game in charge of the club was the Round 1 clash against crosstown rivalsMelbourne Heart, an encounter which the Melbourne Victory lost 2–1. His first win came against Adelaide United in Round 4, with the Victory prevailing 2–1. The following year, Melbourne Victory made the A-League Preliminary Final after beatingPerth Glory in an Elimination Final 2–1 atDocklands Stadium. Melbourne Victory then played in the Preliminary Final againstCentral Coast Mariners and lost 2–0.[citation needed]
Postecoglou was appointed head coach of theAustralia national team on 23 October 2013 on a five-year contract, replacing GermanHolger Osieck.[56][57] Postecoglou was tasked with regenerating the Australian national team, which was deemed to have been too reliant on members of their Golden Generation of 2006, subsequently leading to a stagnation of results that culminated in successive 6–0 defeats toBrazil andFrance.[58][59][60][61][62][63] In his first game as Australia's manager, a home friendly match againstCosta Rica, Australia won 1–0, courtesy of a goal fromTim Cahill.[64]
For the2014 FIFA World Cup, Australia were drawn inGroup B alongside holdersSpain, 2010 runners-up theNetherlands andChile.[65] The team lost to Chile 3–1 and the Netherlands 3–2 to be eliminated from Group B, and concluded with a 3–0 loss to also-eliminatedSpain. Australia's competitive performances in a difficult group led to belief that a new Golden Generation was about to begin.[66][67]
On 19 December 2017,Yokohama F. Marinos announced they had appointed Postecoglou as head coach with his tenure set to begin after the2017 Japanese Emperor's Cup.[70][71][72][73] Postecoglou's first domestic game as coach of Yokohama ended with a 1–1 draw againstCerezo Osaka atYanmar Stadium,Osaka.[74][75] After an initial difficult start to the season, which saw Yokohama F. Marinos facing potential relegation,[76] Postecoglou guided the club to the final of theJ-League Cup, and a 12th-place finish in the league.[77]
After receiving interest from theGreece national team to become their new manager,[78][79] Postecoglou extended his contract with Yokohama F. Marinos.[80] Yokohama's belief in Postecoglou was rewarded during the2019 season when he guided the club to their first J. League title in 15 years.[81]
Postecoglou became the manager ofScottish Premiership clubCeltic on 10 June 2021, signing a 12-month rolling contract, making him the first Australian manager to coach a major club in Europe.[82][83][84][85] Celtic, who had just lost their league title to Rangers for the first time in a decade, had abruptly missed out on hiring English managerEddie Howe. The new appointment was mocked by Celtic fan andTalksport presenterAlan Brazil, who apologised on his show a year later, after Postecoglou had won the league.[86] Australian Celtic playerTom Rogic reflected on the atmosphere at the appointment: "I laugh sometimes when I look back. Although I knew him quite well, there was a perception of: 'Who's this guy?'"[41]
Postecoglou's first game was aUEFA Champions League qualifier on 20 July, drawing 1–1 againstDanish Superliga clubFC Midtjylland;[87] a 2–1 loss in the second leg in Denmark led to elimination eight days later.[88] He lost his first league game 2–1 away toHeart of Midlothian on 31 July.[89] On 19 December 2021, Celtic won theScottish League Cup after defeatingHibernian 2–1 atHampden Park in thefinal.[90] The following 2 February, a 3–0 win over rivalsRangers put Celtic to the top of the league table for the first time in the season, ending a 13-game unbeaten start for opposing managerGiovanni van Bronckhorst.[91] Having not let their lead slip, the league title was sealed on 11 May with a game remaining, after a 1–1 draw atDundee United.[92]
Celtic began the2022–23 season with a 2–0 win againstAberdeen on 31 July atCeltic Park.[98] Celtic dominated the Premiership in Postecoglou's second season, remaining on top and winning the league for a second straight season.[99] On 26 February 2023, Postecoglou won his second Scottish League Cup in a row after beating rivals Rangers 2–1 in thefinal.[100] Celtic ended the season with a record eighth domestic treble after they won theScottish Cup at Hampden Park againstInverness Caledonian Thistle on 2 June in Postecoglou's last match in charge.[101]
On 6 June 2023, it was announced Postecoglou would be appointed head coach of English clubTottenham Hotspur, starting 1 July, on a four-year contract.[103] His appointment saw him become both the first Australian and first Greek to manage in thePremier League.[104]
After managing Tottenham to an unbeaten start to the2023–24 season with two wins and a draw in his first three matches, Postecoglou received thePremier League Manager of the Month award for August, becoming the first manager sinceDavid Wagner to win the award in his first month in the division.[105] On 24 September, Postecoglou became the first Tottenham manager to earn points fromArsenal away at theEmirates Stadium in four years since Pochettino, after theNorth London derby ended in a 2–2 draw.[106] After continuing Tottenham Hotspur's unbeaten streak for a second month, Postecoglou was nominated for the Premier League Manager of the Month award for September, eventually winning it and becoming the first ever manager to win the award in each of his first two months in the competition.[107][108]
On 1 October, Postecoglou guided Spurs to their first victory againstLiverpool in five years, following a 2–1 win at home.[109] On 23 October, Postecoglou achieved his seventh victory in his ninth league game, following a 2–0 win overFulham at home.[110] He broke the record for most points earned by a Premier League manager in their first nine games, with his side accumulating 23 points and overtaking the 22 achieved byGuus Hiddink fromChelsea in the2008–09 season.[111][112][113][114] Postecoglou guided Tottenham to three consecutive wins and the league's top spot in October, leading him to be named Manager of the Month for a third consecutive time. In doing so, Postecoglou became the first manager to win the award for the first three months of a single season.[115]
On 6 November, Postecoglou suffered his first defeat as Tottenham manager in the 4–1 home defeat to London rivalsChelsea during which his side were down to nine men, following a straight red card toCristian Romero and a second yellow card toDestiny Udogie.[116] The loss marked the beginning of a five-game winless streak for the club, where they would draw one match and lose the rest, dropping their league position from first to fifth.[117]
Leading Tottenham to an unbeaten run in their first ten games contributed to Postecoglou winning Manager of the Year honours at the London Football Awards on 29 February 2024.[118] However, Tottenham would be unable to recapture their strong season start; a 4–2 loss to Liverpool on 5 May marked the club's first four-game league losing streak in 20 years.[119] Postecoglou would ultimately lead Tottenham to a fifth-place finish, qualifying the team for the2024–25 UEFA Europa League after a year-long absence from European football.[120]
Prior to the2024–25 season, Postecoglou mentioned in an interview that he usually won things in his second year. Tottenham began theirleague campaign poorly, winning only one of their first four games. On 15 September, after a 1–0 loss to Arsenal, Postecoglou clarified his preseason statement, stating:
"I'll correct myself – I don't usually win things, I always win things in my second year. Nothing's changed. I've said it now. I don't say things unless I believe them."[121]
Many in the media interpreted this as Postecoglou promising a trophy by the end of the season.[122][123][124] The campaign was marred by injuries to several players, causing many to miss a significant number of matches.[125] This resulted in Tottenham's worst-ever Premier League finish at 17th, one spot above the relegation zone, with the club accumulating their most defeats and lowest-ever points tally in a single Premier League season.[126][127] The run of bad results raised speculation throughout the year that Postecoglou would be dismissed.[128][129]
During the Europa League victory parade on 23 May, Postecoglou openly campaigned to return for the next season, stating "all the best TV series, season three is better than season two."[133] However, on 6 June, exactly two years since his appointment, Postecoglou was relieved of his duties as Tottenham's head coach.[134]
On 9 September 2025, Postecoglou was announced as head coach of English Premier League clubNottingham Forest, signing a two-year contract, as successor ofNuno Espírito Santo.[135] Postecoglou lost his first game as Nottingham Forest manager 3–0 to Arsenal, soon followed by a defeat bySwansea City in the League Cup and draws againstBurnley andReal Betis, having led in all three.[136][137] These draws were followed by defeats bySunderland andNewcastle United in the Premier League andFC Midtjylland in theEuropa League, meaning Postecoglou was winless in his first seven fixtures – the worst start by a Forest manager in over a century – and saw his job security being questioned after less than a month in charge.[138]
After a 3–0 home defeat by Chelsea on 18 October 2025 which saw the team drop into the relegation zone,[139] Forest announced the departure of Postecoglou only 18 minutes after the final whistle,[140] making him the shortest reigning manager in the club's history.[141][142]Evangelos Marinakis, the club's owner, had already left his seat when Forest were 2–0 down. Postecoglou won none of his 8 games in charge, drawing 2 and losing 6.[143] His managerial reign of just 39 days is the second shortest in English Premier League history; onlySam Allardyce's 30-day tenure atLeeds United was shorter.[144][145]
Postecoglou married his first wife, Georgia, in December 1988.[149] He had a son from that marriage.[150] Postecoglou's current wife, also named Georgia, worked at South Melbourne as a marketing manager when he served as manager of the club.[151] Together they have two sons.[152]
He said in a 2018 interview that his father, who died that year, worked hard every day of his life: "People say they go to another country for a better life. My parents did not have a better life, they went to Australia to provide opportunities for me to have a better life." Father and son had time together only during their outings together to soccer games, from where young Ange got a life-long "fascination" with the sport. He said of his management "My motivation is always to produce teams [my] dad would enjoy watching."[153] Postecoglou also grew up supportingLiverpool andAEK Athens.[154][155][156]
In November 2022, Postecoglou was inducted into theFootball Australia Hall of Fame for his outstanding contribution to Australian football on and off the field as a player and as a coach.[157]
Scottish PremiershipManager of the Month: October 2021, January 2022, February 2022, March 2022, April 2022,[96] August 2022, September/October 2022[190]
^Chamberlin, Chris."Age of Ange".Australian Story. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived fromthe original on 26 January 2018. Retrieved15 June 2017.
^"FFA ends Postecoglou's time".The World Game. Special Broadcasting Service. Australian Associated Press. 9 February 2007. Archived fromthe original on 11 October 2007. Retrieved28 October 2013.
^"Roar resurgence stuns Ange".The World Game. Special Broadcasting Service. 8 November 2010. Archived fromthe original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved28 October 2013.
^Fitzgibbon, Liam (31 October 2010)."Roar a work in progress".The Sydney Morning Herald.Archived from the original on 30 August 2012. Retrieved6 November 2010.
^"Coolen praises Roar style".The World Game. Special Broadcasting Service. 8 November 2010. Archived fromthe original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved28 October 2013.
^abAlexander, Douglas (8 May 2022)."Ange Postecoglou: Celtic needed a major rebuild but I've only scratched the surface".The Sunday Times.Archived from the original on 8 May 2022. Retrieved8 May 2022.Yet a year later and Postecoglou is a double manager of the year, having added the Scottish Football Writers' Association award to the PFA Scotland accolade he received last weekend.
^"South's party kicks on".The Sydney Morning Herald. 24 May 1998. p. 92.Archived from the original on 19 August 2021. Retrieved19 August 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
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