Ange Postecoglou spent almost three years ferrying Ferenc Puskas around the streets of Melbourne in a battered old Datsun.
A highly surreal experience perhaps. But one which provided the big Aussie with a football education to last a lifetime.
It’s with a sense of some irony then that Postecoglou will dig deep into his managerial mentor’s attacking philosophy in a win-or-bust attempt to bloody the nose of Hungarian champions Ferencvaros, now that he’s pitched up on the other side of the planet looking to make a name for himself on the very European stage which Puskas once owned.
The Real Madrid legend arrived Down Under in 1989, towards the tail end of his coaching career, to take up a post with South Melbourne Hellas.
A young Greek speaking full-back would quickly become his title-winning captain, interpreter and personal chauffeur.
But, for Postecoglou, this was only the start of the journey which has brought him all the way to Glasgow’s East End.
He recalled yesterday: “When I talk about influences in my career and in my life obviously my father was the greatest influence of all.
“But in terms of other major influences, Puskas was right up there. I was really fortunate to spend two or three years with him. At the time, when he came to Australia, his English wasn’t great but he had taken Panathinaikos to the European Cup Final at Wembley so his Greek was decent.
“I was captain of the club at the time and I acted almost as his interpreter. He even wanted me to pick him up from home. So I’d pick him up in my s***y little car and I was embarrassed I had one of the world’s greatest footballers sitting in a little Datsun!
“We would spend hours together and for me that time was priceless. He taught me a lot about humility, being such a great man. If you treat people well, irrespective of what you’ve done in your life, they’ll give everything for you. He created that as the team environment. We all would literally die for him – we didn’t want to disappoint him.
“We had success, we won a championship with him and that’s one of my favourite photos mate – holding up the trophy alongside him.
“It was sad for me that he passed away before I could thank him properly when I became a manager myself – I missed that opportunity – but he’s certainly somebody that I hold very dear to my heart.”
In fact, this chance crossing of paths appears to have been the genesis of Angeball – and all it stands for.
The Celtic boss nodded: “Yeah, absolutely. He loved his attacking players. He’d tell us almost not to worry about the results, don’t listen to the media, just play football for fun and go out there to score goals.
“He used to play with two wingers and he’d tell them never to come back past the half way line. I was a full-back at the time so I used to blow up about it but then I figured out, ‘I’m going to attack as well!’ and he loved it.
“He just had this real fearlessness in his approach. He felt we were there to entertain our supporters, we were there to create magic moments because he had done that himself during his career. It rubbed off on us.
“We were a young team and we played with that fearlessness. That’s what won us the championships in the end. We didn’t worry about what the opposition was doing, we’d just play our
football. He certainly was one of the major influences for me.”
All of which begs a very obvious question. Two games into his first ever European campaign – and without a single point from either – is Postecoglou prepared to adopt a more pragmatic approach to a match which he himself admits must be won if his side is to have any chance of making the knockout stages?
The very suggestion that his openly aggressive, cavalier tactical approach might carry too high a tariff at this level almost comes as an insult to his principles.
He said: “High tariff? I like that! I haven’t heard that one before, but it’s pretty accurate.
“I enjoy that part of it, the fact that people debate the merits or otherwise, and whether I should take a pragmatic approach.
“But for me, that’s what I believe in, that’s what I think will bring us success, and that’s the approach. Mate, I did it at a World Cup facing up to Arjen Robben, Robin van Persie, Andres Iniesta, and David Villa. I took that approach, we paid a price – or a high tariff – then as well, but I still think it’s the way forward mate.
“As for the game itself, I expect it to be pretty open. I expect both teams to go for it. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if there are goals in it tomorrow.
“From our perspective, don’t be mistaken that I disregard the opposition or what they bring to the table when setting up the team.
“We do a lot of analysis, we understand where their strengths lie and we have to make sure we are vigilant in minimising whatever strengths they have. But at the same time, we have to back ourselves.
“We are at home, we want to be a team that dominates games, scores goals, so you’ve got to be prepared to do that against the best opposition.”
It’s a fascinating – if dangerously stubborn – mindset. Not only does Postecoglou believe firmly in risk and reward but, like Puskas, he refuses to believe that results should ever be considered as the be-all-and-end-all.
Asked if he feels there is an onus on both Celtic and Rangers this week to land some blows for the reputation of the Scottish game he answered: “For me, it’s not just about getting a result.
“It’s also about playing football that maybe other nations and other clubs will notice. If we can do that then we will raise the profile of the local game as well.
“Scottish clubs have always managed to pick up results against much bigger opposition in Europe. That’s part of the history and traditions of the game here.
“But part of it for me is to hopefully get the rest of Europe talking about the football we are playing as well as the results we get.”
