Reaction to comic Celtic own goal: 'As much as I’d love to control them like that FIFA stuff ...'

Ange Postecoglou was relaxed about the calamitous nature of Josip Juranovic’s own goal in Celtic’s 2-1 win over Motherwell, saying that “these things happen” in football.

Celtic's Joe Hart and Josip Juranovic are involved in an own goal to make it 1-1 during a cinch Premiership match between Celtic and Motherwell at Celtic Park, on October 01, 2022, in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Craig Foy / SNS Group)

The Croatian defender chested the ball back towards his goal after a hopeful Blair Spittal cross, expecting keeper Joe Hart to be there to collect. However, the Englishman had move to the side to take the cross and therefore the ball trundled towards goal and despite Hart’s best efforts, it crossed the line.

Celtic recovered to win 2-1 and asked if there was a breakdown in communication between Hart and Juranovic, manager Postecoglou said: “Totally. There was no one else around them. But these things happen in football, you kind of know.

“Invariably, they happen in a game like today. They never happen when you’re four or five up. But they’re human beings, mate.

“As much as I’d love to control them like that FIFA stuff, you let them be human beings who are going to make mistakes.

“The important thing is that we recovered from that and we got our goal.

“It was important to win today. After a loss you’ve got to get back into winning ways as quickly as possible.

“So from that perspective it was an important three points.”