Alan Stubbs believes playing in the Champions League is a ‘bigger incentive’ for staying at Celtic for Ange Postecoglou than replacing Graham Potter as Brighton & Hove Albion boss.
UCL with Celtic ‘bigger incentive’ than replacing Potter at Brighton for Postecoglou
Former Celtic centre-back Alan Stubbs has told the Glasgow Times that he feels the pulling power playing in the Champions League brings is far more attractive for Ange Postecoglou than a chance to replace the new Chelsea boss, Graham Potter, at Brighton & Hove Albion.
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Chelsea appointed Potter as their first head coach hiring under new owner Todd Boehly on Thursday, after firing Thomas Tuchel earlier this week. The Blues paid the Seagulls £21.5m in compensation for their manager, along with four other members of his backroom team.
Potter had been in charge at the Amex Stadium since May 2019, but has left for Stamford Bridge on a five-year contract. The 47-year-old leaves behind him a Seagulls side sitting in fourth-place in the Premier League table, following four wins and a draw to start the term.
Brighton also have the second-best defensive record so far this season, having allowed five goals in six games. Now, Postecoglou has emerged as one of the candidates for the vacant hot seat on the south coast, after he took Celtic to the Premiership title in his first season.
Although journalist for the Independent, Miguel Delaney, reports Brighton do not believe Postecoglou will leave Celtic to now replace Potter, following their manager’s decision to replace Tuchel at Chelsea and take over a club that spent £278.5m in the summer market.
Alan Stubbs confident Ange Postecoglou is still committed to Parkhead project
Stubbs, similarly, believes Postecoglou would snub any approach from Brighton to replace Potter in favour of staying at Celtic. The former Hoops defender is confident the Australian is still committed to his Parkhead plans, given he is only in the ‘early stages of this project’.
“It’s football, so I could say one thing right now and he could be gone by Monday,” Stubbs said. “But I just get the impression that he wants to carry through what he has started at Celtic. There’s a huge season ahead for Celtic – we’re only in the first few weeks.
“Looking at the Brighton job, it’s a great club and they are doing really well, but I’m not seeing Brighton as a team that are pushing for European places season upon season. They are a well-run club, and they keep their finances on a tight rein.
“When you look where Celtic are in the Champions League and what that can do in terms of your ability to then bring players to the club, I think that is a bigger incentive than trying to sign players – no disrespect – for Brighton.”
Postecoglou took charge of a Celtic side that needed tearing up and starting over with last year. Yet he led the Glasgow giants to Premiership glory and sealed their spot in the group stage of the 2022/23 Champions League, which began at home to Real Madrid on Tuesday.
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