Angelos Postecoglou, the coach of the Tottenham English club, celebrated victory in the Europa League final on Wednesday and became the first Greek coach to win a European trophy.
Postecoglou, born on August 27, 1965 in Nea Philadelphia, a suburb of Athens, secured the trophy during his second season at the club after his team’s historic win against Manchester United.
“I’m a winner. Winning is what I do the most,” said Postecoglou after his team’s victory.
There remains major doubt over Postecoglou’s future despite this epic night. In the immediate aftermath of arguably the most significant trophy of his career, Postecoglou hinted that he wanted to stay on as head coach, intimating that he wished to build on this Europa League success.
His future will be confirmed in the coming days but, amid the jubilation, there are clear indications that he will leave Tottenham ahead of next season, the BBC reports.
Angelos Postecoglou: A proud Greek
Just before the final, in responding to a question in Greek, he said: “I am very proud. I was born in Greece, [and] I am a very proud Greek. My father made sure I learned my roots and what it means to be Greek. To carry it throughout my life.”
“He worked very hard, as I’ve said many times. They left their homeland, from everything they knew, for their children, for me. I keep it in my heart,” he continued.
“He is not with me today, but he is with me all the time,” he added. “I love being Greek, I love that I was born in Greece and I think that is where I will retire one day.”
After his father, Dimitris (“Jim”), lost his business following the 1967 Greek military coup, the Postecoglou family migrated to Australia in 1970, when he was five years old. He grew up in Melbourne, Victoria.
At the age of ten, his parents changed his surname to “Postekos,” remarking: “It was a fad in those days to shorten your name if you were Greek, so that’s what they did.” Although Postekos is still his surname legally, he opts for Postecoglou.
The climb to the top of the soccer world
As a player, he spent most of his club career as a defender for South Melbourne Hellas and played four games for the Australia national team in the late 1980s. He began managing at South Melbourne Hellas in 1996, winning the National Soccer League twice and the OFC Champions League in 1999. He then led the national Under-17 and Under-20 teams.
Postecoglou managed Brisbane Roar and Melbourne Victory in the A-League, winning the Premiership in 2011 and the Championship in 2011 and 2012 with Brisbane Roar.
He was the men’s senior national team manager from 2013 to 2017, winning the AFC Asian Cup in 2015 and also going to the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
He won the J1 League with Yokohama F. Marinos in 2019 and then won five trophies (including two league titles) in two seasons with Scottish side Celtic.
He became head coach of Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur in 2023, winning the UEFA Europa League in 2025. It was the club’s first trophy since 2008.
Related: Greek Australians Celebrate as Ange Postecoglou Takes Charge of Tottenham
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