Celtic FC Pursues Wilfried Nancy as Next Manager

omidbasir- Celtic FC has officially reached out to Columbus Crew concerning the potential hiring of Wilfried Nancy as their next manager, according to a source familiar with the situation speaking to ESPN.

At 48 years old, Nancy has reportedly been in discussions with Celtic for several weeks. However, this is the first formal communication from the reigning Scottish champions to the Crew. The two parties are now actively working to finalize an agreement, which appears to be leaning towards Nancy transitioning to the Scottish Premiership.

Additionally, conversations are underway regarding which members of Nancy’s coaching staff will accompany him to Glasgow.

Celtic has been without a permanent manager since Brendan Rogers resigned on October 27, following a challenging start to the season. In the interim, Martin O’Neill has been at the helm on a temporary basis.

The Crew had previously engaged in discussions with Nancy over the past few years about extending his contract, which currently runs through 2026. They had also considered elevating him to the highest-paid manager in Major League Soccer (MLS). However, Nancy opted against a longer-term deal, expressing his desire to pursue opportunities in Europe.

Should the agreement with Celtic be finalized, it would mark the conclusion of a successful three-year tenure for Nancy in Columbus, where he led the team to win the MLS Cup in 2023 and the Leagues Cup in 2024. Following the latter victory, Nancy was honored as the MLS Coach of the Year.

In addition to this accolade, Nancy has been recognized for implementing an attractive, possession-based style of play with a team whose salary budget ranked just outside the top third in the league.

Nancy previously enjoyed a successful tenure as manager of CF Montréal from 2021 to 2022, winning the Canadian Championship in 2021 after stepping into the role following Thierry Henry’s sudden resignation. Before his managerial appointment, Nancy spent a decade with Montreal, contributing as a coach in their academy and later as an assistant for the first team starting in 2016. He left the club in December 2022 following a disagreement with owner Joey Saputo.

As a player, Nancy had a modest career, beginning with fourth-tier Toulon and later competing with various lower-league teams, including Beaucairois, Raon-l’Étape, Ivry, Noisy-le-Sec, Châtellerault, and Orléans.