Wilfried Nancy on the Brink of Celtic Appointment

Wilfried Nancy, who has found success in Major League Soccer (MLS), is reportedly close to being named the new manager of Celtic FC, according to BBC Scotland.

Discussions between the Scottish champions and Nancy, who is currently the head coach of the Columbus Crew, have reached an advanced stage. Celtic has been seeking a new manager following the resignation of Brendan Rodgers last month. In the interim, former manager Martin O’Neill, alongside Shaun Maloney, has guided the team through the last five matches.

O’Neill has achieved victory in four of his domestic fixtures since returning, but suffered a setback against Midtjylland in the Europa League. As it stands, Hearts currently lead Celtic by four points at the top of the Scottish Premiership, although Celtic has a game in hand.

Celtic is set to face Feyenoord in their fifth Europa League match on Thursday, with the team having accumulated four points thus far. Additionally, they are preparing to defend the Premier Sports Cup in next month’s final against St. Mirren, who recently lost 1-0 to O’Neill’s side.

If appointed as anticipated, Nancy will step into the role amid a challenging atmosphere between the club and its supporters. Last week, an annual meeting was disrupted by shareholder discontent, with some expressing their frustrations vocally, including chants of “sack the board.”

Following Saturday’s victory in Paisley, O’Neill emphasized the need for “some sort of unification” within the club, in light of the ongoing calls from fans for changes in its management.

Nancy’s coaching journey began in Canada after he played professionally in his native France, including a stint with Toulon. He took over as head coach of CF Montreal in 2021 following Thierry Henry’s resignation, leading the team to capture the Canadian Championship later that year.

In 2022, he transitioned to Columbus Crew and guided the team to the MLS Cup in 2023, as well as the Leagues Cup the previous year, earning recognition as MLS Coach of the Year. However, this season, the Crew finished seventh in the Eastern Conference and 12th overall.

Overall, Nancy has managed 215 games in North America, and a potential move to Celtic would mark his first managerial role in Europe.