Ange Postecoglou has revealed the Ajax approach can offer Champions League inspiration to Celtic.
The Parkhead boss has taken the club back into the top levels of European competition for the first time in five years. After Saturday’s home Premiership encounter against Motherwell, the champions will head back onto the continent for an away tie against RB Leipzig next midweek. Postecoglou, who has seen his side take one point from their opening two group games against Real Madrid and Shakhtar Donetsk, is determined that Celtic make an impact in the competition.
And, although there is a huge gulf between the finances of Europe’s elite and some of other clubs in the competition, the Australian says the Dutch giants have shown it's possible to compete. Speaking to Stan Sport Football in his homeland, Postecoglou said: “You can do one or two things. You can sort of say that’s a gap that will never be bridged because, ultimately, the rich clubs will continue to get bigger as we’ve seen.
“Inevitably now, as their riches are greater in these competitions, they focus more on them, so they are the ones that are the beneficiaries of it, so that gap becomes bigger. Or you can take the view as I have that you chip away at it. Every year you go there and you make a little bit more of an impact.
“The more you’re at that level, I think the more belief you gain as a club and as a group when you are competing on consistent levels. If you look at an Ajax now, and people say Ajax have sold so many players in recent times but are consistently making the Champions League and made it to a (semi) final.
“There was probably a three or four year period when they were building that team that they didn’t even win the Dutch league. But they had the discipline to say well we’re going to play young players. We probably won’t win the Dutch league, but over the course of time.
“You look at a club like that and they’re chipping away at it. That’s where I see a club like Celtic.
“You go into the competition, yes for experience, but also to make an impact and chip away at these bigger clubs, so that every time you are in it, you get a little bit closer. Will you ever get to the same space? Probably not. But enough when you’re more than competitive.”
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