Celtic's Ange Postecoglou on meeting Rangers men in restaurants - 'it's a crazy old world, mate'

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou has had an impressive handle on the peculiarities of the Scottish game for a relative newcomer in his position. And an outsider to boot.

The Australian struggles, though, to understand the “weird” misunderstandings that cause him to be newsworthy in his social life.

The 56-year-old was pictured recently with former Rangers manager Graeme Souness and BBC pundit Chick Young in Italian restaurant Caprese Don Costanzo, on Woodlands Road in Glasgow. This snap prompted one report to reach excitable conclusions.

It stated that after he had been captured on a camera phone with current Rangers manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst in nearby cafe Eusebi Deli to “raise eyebrows” - both later confirming their supposed catch-up actually had been a chance encounter that led to a short chat – the Celtic manager had a “table for four” in enjoying a dinner out, “a sit down”, with Souness and Young.

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou embraces Rangers boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst after the recent Old Firm fixture at Celtic Park. (Photo by Alan Harvey / SNS Group)

Turns out, predictably, there were was only one other person at his table. And it wasn’t a figure with any professional connection to the game. “I was having dinner with my wife, as I do always,” he said, his table shared by his other half Georgia. “And sometimes I bump in to people in the same industry as me…

“Graeme Souness is a great man and he’s done fantastic things for Scottish football. He walked past my table, we said hello, someone took a picture, and all of a sudden we are best friends! It’s a crazy old world we live in, mate. The only dinner guest I have on a regular basis is my beautiful wife.”

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