Former Celtic striker Giorgos Giakoumakis has opened up about his relationship with ex-manager Ange Postecoglou, shedding light on the pair’s dynamic during their time together in Glasgow.
Despite both hailing from Greece, Giakoumakis revealed that he rarely spoke with the manager one-on-one, admitting he only visited Postecoglou’s office once in 18 months and that was to request time off to undergo knee surgery.
Postecoglou brought the striker in late on in his first window. Despite his slow start, he turned out to be a great signing for the Hoops, despite his career only lasting 18 months.
“I cannot say anything bad about Ange. He brought me there,” he told RecordSport
“I don’t know what his plan was originally. To be a second striker or to be a solution from the bench? To be a starter? I never understood.
“I cannot say anything bad. He was an amazing manager. He was the best manager I ever had in my career, football-wise.
“As a person, it doesn’t matter. Personal relationship and personal opinion is different to every person, for a specific face, for a specific individual. But as a manager, I cannot say anything bad.
“Of course, I wasn’t happy when I was not playing. I’m going to tell you something weird. We were both Greeks, right? In 18 months, I went to his office once to ask permission to go to Greece to undergo surgery for my knee. That was it.
“And when I did that, I was already in the team for three months. I asked people, ‘Where is his office?’ And they were laughing with me.”
The striker’s candid remarks paint a picture of mutual professional respect, even if the personal relationship between the two never quite flourished.
It’s clear that Giakoumakis, despite limited opportunities at times, still views his time under Postecoglou and his overall Celtic experience in a positive light.
The relationship did turn sour towards the end, with the player making it clear in no uncertain terms that he wanted to leave the club. Despite Celtic trying to offer him more money, just £1,000 more a week, he had his heart set on leaving, and that turned his relationship with the manager and CEO “fragile”
However, despite that, he did admit that he is keen on a Celtic return, and would love to pull on the green and white hoops one day.
A wee bit late with this , it was yesterdays news