Jota and Ange Postecoglou shared a “crazy love” for each other during their time together at Celtic, according to former teammate Christopher Jullien.
The bond between the Portuguese winger and the Australian coach was seen as a perfect fit, with Jullien describing them as “a match made in heaven.”
Postecoglou first brought Jota to Celtic on loan from Benfica, and the winger quickly made an impact. In his debut season, Jota contributed 13 goals and 14 assists, prompting Celtic to make the deal permanent for £6 million.
He continued his fine form, adding another 15 goals and 12 assists in the following campaign, cementing his status as a fan favourite.
This impressive run earned Jota a record-breaking £25 million transfer to Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ittihad last summer. However, his time in the Pro League didn’t go as planned, leading to a recent move to French side Rennes.
Jullien, now also playing in Ligue 1, spoke to L’Equipe about what fans can expect from Jota at Rennes. He said, “He makes the effort, is certainly not individualistic, and only uses dribbling as a last resort. He tries to combine a lot.”
Jullien highlighted the strong relationship between Jota and Postecoglou, adding, “Ange Postecoglou and him; it was crazy love, because the coach asked him to favour the splits, the one-twos. And it was totally him.”
Reflecting on Jota’s personality, Jullien described him as a team player who was well-liked by everyone at Celtic. “He is someone nice to everyone. No one said a bad word about him at Celtic. He wants to succeed. He tries to put all the ingredients on his side to be at the top,” Jullien concluded.