Manager 1998 - 1999

The appointment of Dr Jozef Venglos as Celtic Head Coach to succeed Wim Jansen came as a complete surprise when it was announced on 17 July 1998. The tabloids were quick to ask in predictably mocking tones, 'Dr Who?' Despite being the head of the European Coaches Union, a member of FIFA's technical committee at France '98, and having coached Czechoslovakia to European Championship success 1976 and the quarter finals of the World Cup at Italia '90, very few Celtic fans had ever heard of him.

The dignified Slovak had also coached at such clubs as Sporting Lisbon, Aston Villa, and Fenerbahce, but this counted for nothing as far as the press were concerned. He had a hard act to follow, and many fans were irate at the time it took to land the new man. All the indications were that he was not the first choice (it now appears that that distinction belonged to Egil Olsen, who initially agreed to take the job but then backed out for reasons which are still not entirely clear).

Hampered by the lateness of his own appointment, a severe injury crisis (exacerbated by the World Cup), a bonus row, and a much delayed entry into the transfer market, Venglos got off to a worryingly poor start. Only three of the first ten league matches were won, the team made an ignominious early exit from the League Cup, and after failing to qualify for the Champions League, matters reached a head on 3 November 1998 with the disastrous loss to Zurich in the UEFA Cup. One immediate casualty was General Manager Jock Brown, but Venglos' own job was hanging by a thread when Celtic faced Rangers at Parkhead on 21 November. Strengthened by the signings of Riseth, Mjallby and Moravcik, Venglos' team responded with an unforgettable 5-1 thrashing of their arch-rivals, which went down in history as The Humping. That gave Venglos much needed breathing space and results gradually improved.

A major setback occurred when the long-sought new striker Mark Viduka went AWOL immediately after completing his transfer, and the team promptly lost to Hearts at Tynecastle. After the winter break, Celtic began to play some of the most exhilirating football seen in years, with Larsson in stupendous form. But it was always asking a lot to make up the lost ground in the title race, the challenge faltered on 24 April with a 0-1 defeat at Perth.

The league title was conceded in traumatic circumstances at Parkhead on 2 May, and the Scottish Cup remained the sole hope of consolation. But in the final against Rangers, a much criticised team selection failed to rise to the occasion, giving an insipid performance which left many muttering darkly about the Head Coach's future.

It says much for the genuine esteem in which Venglos was held that he was able to retain much of his dignity when the new management team of Kenny Dalglish and John Barnes was installed a short while later. Venglos also retained employment at Celtic, moving to the newly created post of European Technical Advisor. The circumstances surrounding his season in charge were most unfortunate, though many felt that he was never really the man for this most demanding of jobs.

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Quotes
"Celtic sign a blank cheque!"
Daily Record headline on Jozef Venglos' appointment July 1998