Former Celtic player Giorgos Giakoumakis has opened up about his departure from the club, shedding light on his relationship with manager Ange Postecoglou.
Despite Ange’s success at Celtic, Giakoumakis revealed several behind-the-scenes issues that influenced his decision to leave.
Ange, who later joined Spurs, achieved notable success at Celtic, clinching five trophies in two seasons, including a treble.
While Ange’s impact at Spurs has been immediate, fostering brilliant football and uplifting the club’s atmosphere, Giakoumakis highlighted the challenges he faced during his time at Celtic.
The former Greek player, who was among those sold by Ange in January, moved to MLS.
In his revelations to The Athletic, Giakoumakis expressed surprise at leaving one of the world’s biggest clubs for MLS.
He pointed out that his decision was influenced by various factors going wrong, and he admitted to a strained relationship with Ange.
Despite no specific fights, Giakoumakis stated that he didn’t feel the desired level of trust from the manager.
Giakoumakis emphasised that leaving Celtic was a difficult decision, given the special connection he had with the fans.
However, he revealed that the lack of respect from certain individuals at the club ultimately led to his departure.
While expressing sadness about leaving, he believed that circumstances at Celtic forced him to make the decision.
He said: (via The Athletic):
“It’s certainly a surprise to leave one of the biggest clubs in the world for the MLS.
“I wouldn’t think to leave Celtic if several things didn’t go wrong, and many of them were completely wrong.
“I cannot lie. My relationship with the manager wasn’t great, at the end of the day.
We never had a specific fight, but he didn’t trust me as much as I wanted to feel trusted.”
“I had to go. I had to go. I never regretted a moment. I was sad that I had to leave Celtic.
I was living a life there. I was like a god for the fans.
My connection with them was really special, and it was sad, but I had to make my decision.
My last month in Celtic I was suffering because of some people at the club. I didn’t receive the respect from the people or from the club.
So actually, I think they forced me to go out.”
