Ange Postecoglou’s recent response on live television will not silence the Celtic supporters who still hold hopes of seeing him back in the Parkhead dugout one day.
The Australian’s football left a lasting impression on Glasgow. His Celtic side played with intensity, attacked relentlessly, and lifted the mood around the club after a bleak spell following the COVID season.
Few expected him to win the league in his first season. The squad was being rebuilt, the pressure was immense, and the early weeks were turbulent.
Postecoglou delivered the title anyway.
A domestic double arrived in that first campaign. A treble followed the next season, completing a short but dominant spell where Celtic ruled Scottish football and did it with a clear identity.
Supporters remember the football as much as the trophies.
That is why even the smallest comment from Postecoglou still attracts attention.
He was working for TNT Sports this week during Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League clash with Chelsea when presenter Reshmin Chowdhury put a playful question to him.
She asked if he would ever go back to an ex.
Postecoglou simply replied: “No comment.”
The remark was delivered with a smile and was clearly aimed more at Tottenham Hotspur and the turmoil around his old club than anything connected to Celtic.
Still, the answer was not the outright rejection some expected.
Postecoglou appeared on The Overlap recently and sounded far more decisive when the idea of returning to Celtic was raised. On that occasion, the door looked firmly shut.
Even so, many supporters would welcome him back tomorrow if it were possible.
Reality says it remains a long shot. That should not stop Celtic from at least posing the question.
The job awaiting the next permanent manager looks significant. The scale of the rebuild feels similar to the summer of 2021 when Postecoglou first walked through the door.
Several loan players are expected to return to their parent clubs. Several established names look close to the end of their Celtic careers. Change is coming either way.
For now, the focus remains on the pitch.
Martin O’Neill’s side are still locked in a title battle and chasing Hearts at the top of the table. Nothing else will matter until that race is decided.
Once the season ends, attention will quickly shift to the dugout. But the Hoops hierarchy should have their targets identified well before then.
Roberto Martinez has already been linked with the position. Motherwell manager Jens Berthel Askou is another name that has emerged.
Celtic supporters have lived through a strange campaign filled with uncertainty.
In a season like that, the idea of Ange Postecoglou walking back through the doors at Celtic Park might feel unlikely.
But after that “no comment”, it is not something that can be completely dismissed either.