Jack Hendry confronts Ange Postecoglou as ex-Celtic pair trade words after final whistle

Former Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou was involved in a heated confrontation with ex-Hoops defender Jack Hendry following a dramatic Saudi Pro League encounter this week.

Postecoglou has enjoyed an eventful beginning to life at Al-Nassr after returning to management following more than six months away from the dugout.

The Australian had started with a 100 per cent record before coming up against an Al-Ettifaq side containing familiar Celtic faces Hendry and Moussa Dembele.

It looked as though Postecoglou’s winning start was about to end when Al-Nassr went into half-time 2-0 down and reduced to ten men.

The former Celtic manager then made the eye-catching decision to substitute Cristiano Ronaldo at the interval, with the Portuguese superstar visibly unhappy with the call.

Remarkably, it worked.

Despite their numerical disadvantage, Al-Nassr produced a stunning late turnaround by scoring three times in the final 16 minutes to secure an unlikely victory.

The drama did not finish at the final whistle.

Players from both sides became embroiled in an angry confrontation, with Hendry at the centre of the incident alongside Al-Nassr defender Nawaf Boushal.

Postecoglou then stepped in to defend his players, leading to an exchange with his former Celtic defender. On-pitch footage showed Hendry pointing towards the Australian as the pair traded words, with players and staff eventually intervening.

Postecoglou was reluctant to be drawn on the post-match scenes afterwards, with much of the questioning instead surrounding his decision to hook Ronaldo.

“I think there’s a bigger story today and that is that 10 men of Al Nassr were unbelievable,” Postecoglou said.

“That’s all you should write about.”

Hendry is not the only former Celtic player at Al-Ettifaq, with Hoops hero Dembele also part of their squad after the pair moved to Saudi Arabia three years ago.