Wilfried Nancy in Advanced Talks to Become Celtic Manager

Wilfried Nancy has achieved notable success in Major League Soccer (MLS) but has yet to coach in Europe.

According to BBC Scotland, Nancy is nearing an appointment as the manager of Celtic FC. Discussions between the Scottish champions and the French head coach of Columbus Crew have progressed significantly.

Celtic has been in search of a new manager since Brendan Rodgers resigned last month. In the interim, former manager Martin O’Neill, alongside Shaun Maloney, has managed the team for the past five matches.

O’Neill has had a perfect record in his domestic fixtures, winning four out of four, though he faced defeat against Midtjylland in the Europa League.

Currently, Hearts leads the defending champions by four points in the Scottish Premiership, although Celtic has a game in hand.

Celtic is set to face Feyenoord in their fifth Europa League match on Thursday, having accrued 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 Nancy’s appointment is finalized, he will assume his role amid growing tensions between the club and its supporters. Last week, Celtic’s annual meeting was disrupted when shareholders expressed their discontent, leading to chanting for the board’s dismissal.

In light of recent events, O’Neill emphasized the need for ‘unification’ within the club after fans called for operational changes during their victory over St Mirren.

Nancy’s coaching career began in Canada after playing in his native France, including a stint with Toulon. He took charge of CF Montreal following Thierry Henry’s resignation in 2021, leading the team to victory in the Canadian Championship.

He subsequently joined Columbus Crew in 2022, leading the team to the MLS Cup in 2023 and winning the Leagues Cup the previous year. Nancy was also honored as the MLS Coach of the Year during this period.

Despite a successful tenure, Columbus Crew finished seventh in the Eastern Conference and twelfth overall this past season. In total, Nancy has managed 215 games in North America, and his potential move to Celtic would mark his first managerial position in Europe.

As speculations about Nancy’s appointment grow, questions arise about how fan unrest may impact the team and the necessity for cohesion within the club.