Christopher Jullien reveals NO Celtic goodbye for 'distant' Ange as he makes claim but can't deny boss' brilliance
The Frenchman spent three years in the east end of Glasgow but injury and a change of boss ended his time at Parkhead.
Christopher Jullien hailed Ange Postecoglou as one of the best managers he’s ever worked with but admitted “as a man we didn't have that link” as he accused the Hoops gaffer going back on a promise to give him minutes towards the end of the title-winning season.
The Frenchman returned to France in a £1 million move to Montpellier at the start of this season having joined the club in the summer of 2019 when he became the second most expensive player in the club’s history after joining for £7m from Toulouse.
But a knee injury wrecked his season in the catastrophic Covid-hit campaign and when Neil Lennon was axed and replaced by Postecoglou, Jullien was always playing catch-up and admitted he just never hit it off with the Aussie. The 29-year-old admitted in an interview with the Mail on Sunday: “He was a really good coach but as a man we didn't have that link.
“I had some conversations at the beginning about how he sees the game. It was fascinating. I can say he is one of the best trainers I have witnessed. But the man himself, we just didn't click.
"Sometimes my team-mates would say why not go and see him? And I'm like 'man, what do you want me to say? The team is winning every game three or four-zero, you're winning everything’. I understand that management is difficult. It's not just 11 players and keeping everyone involved is hard because players can be impatient, emotional.
"I played just once. It was a cup game against a second division team (Raith Rovers) and I felt I could have had more time but afterwards I said 'thanks coach’. Before the season finished I went to see him, not to ask to play, but to see how he found me in training and my level. After we finished the meeting he said: 'If we are champions I will probably give you some minutes'.
"It didn't happen. It felt like he'd told me something and done the contrary. When summer came I had the feeling he was really distant about me. So when I moved I didn't say bye.
"I said goodbye to the people who helped me the most during my time at Celtic, Cal [Callum McGregor] was the first one I spoke to. Now I'm back playing in Ligue 1 and it feels good.
"I have no regrets about Celtic. The first year was unbelievable. The second year was a disaster! And the third year I was happy because I was back from injury. The surgeon gave me the green light in November, 11 months after the injury, so I knew I was fit but I never got the chance to show it.
"We played Motherwell on the final day when we were already champions. I thought I would have the last chance to play at Celtic Park in front of everyone. I remember after the game people were filming me during the celebrations and, looking at the footage, you would think this guy doesn't care.
"But the thing is I didn't participate in one minute of the championship. I did not run for this trophy, I never broke sweat for it. I wish I could have celebrated but inside my heart I just couldn't."
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