No former Celtic manager or player is going to be welcomed warmly at Rangers.
So Ange Postecoglou fully recognises the Ibrox heat he is going to be faced with when he brings his Tottenham side to face Rangers in a red-hot atmosphere tonight.
Gers’ home can be bedlam on any given Europa League night anyway and has helped the team to some famous victories over the years.
The support would love nothing more than to get one over on Postecoglou this evening but either way he will be walking the gauntlet when he comes out the tunnel to take his place in the away dugout at the start of the game.
The Aussie insists he wouldn’t have it any other way.
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Ange Postecoglou to relish Rangers reception
Postecoglou has been in football long enough to know how it goes when you face a rival or even a former one.
When that rivalry is the Old Firm, it’s ratcheted up a notch or two.
He got it when he was Celtic boss and it will be no different now he is returning with another club.
But he insists he enjoys that side of the game and the different atmospheres and occasions are part of what makes football so special.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference on Wednesday evening, he said: “I think you know what kind of reception I’ll get. I love it.
“I don’t know if it brings out more of me. I’m like anyone else.
“I like a bit of love every now and then, but I do enjoy that.
“I always kind of reflect, and we’ve all lived it, once you experience football in empty stadiums, you realise how meaningless it is.
“I felt through that whole period. It was meaningless.
“As much as you go, ‘it could be hostile tomorrow’, but that’s what we love about the game.
“That’s what brings it to life, ultimately. It’s a game that evokes passions and emotions.
“Sometimes that’s not always positive.
“Like every human being, you’d love it to be positive, but it’s not going to happen.
“But you definitely want that, as opposed to just playing a game somewhere sterile where you don’t have that.
“It’s part of the experience.”
Postecoglou’s record vs Rangers at Ibrox
Ange Postecoglou comes to face Rangers tonight with not the best Ibrox record behind him.
As Celtic manager, despite his overall success, he only ever managed one victory at Rangers’ home from four attempts.
He lost out to Steven Gerrard’s Gers on his first visit before managing a victory over Giovanni van Bronckhorst later that season.
| Ange Postecoglou at Ibrox | Result |
| Rangers 1 – 0 Celtic (29/08/21) | L |
| Rangers 1 – 2 Celtic (03/04/22) | W |
| Rangers 2 – 2 Celtic (02/01/23) | D |
| Rangers 3 – 0 Celtic (13/05/23) | L |
Then there was a draw just under a year later, again facing another manager with Rangers bossed by Michael Beale at this point.
Four months later the Light Blues ran riot with a 3-0 victory although that game was a dead rubber as Celtic had already won the league.
