Celtic FC Approaches Wilfried Nancy for Managerial Role

Celtic FC has formally contacted the Columbus Crew about the potential hiring of Wilfried Nancy as their next manager, according to a source familiar with the situation disclosed to ESPN.

Nancy, 48, has reportedly been in discussions with Celtic for several weeks; however, the reigning Scottish champions had not made any formal outreach to the Crew until now. The two parties are reportedly working to finalize an agreement that appears to be moving towards Nancy’s transition to the Scottish Premiership.

Discussions are also underway regarding which members of Nancy’s coaching staff might accompany him to Glasgow.

Celtic has been without a permanent manager since Brendan Rodgers resigned on October 27 following a challenging start to the season, with Martin O’Neill currently serving as interim manager.

The Crew has engaged in conversations with Nancy over the past few years concerning an extension of his current contract, which runs through 2026, including discussions about making him the highest-paid manager in Major League Soccer (MLS). However, Nancy declined these offers, expressing his desire not to sign a long-term deal and his aspirations to manage internationally.

Should the deal with Celtic be finalized, it would mark the conclusion of an impressive three-year tenure for Nancy at Columbus, during which the team won the MLS Cup in 2023 and the Leagues Cup in 2024. Following the latter achievement, he was honored as the MLS Coach of the Year.

Beyond this accolade, Nancy garnered praise for implementing an attractive, possession-based style of play with a team that, in 2025, was positioned just outside the top third in terms of player salary expenditures.

Previously, Nancy had a successful stint as the manager of CF Montréal from 2021 to 2022, where he secured the Canadian Championship in 2021. He assumed the role after the unexpected resignation of Thierry Henry and had spent ten years with the club, initially coaching in their academy before joining the first team as an assistant in 2016. Nancy left Montréal in December 2022 following a disagreement with owner Joey Saputo.

As a player, Nancy had a modest career, starting with fourth-tier Toulon and later playing for several lower-league clubs, including Beaucairois, Raon-l’Étape, Ivry, Noisy-le-Sec, Châtellerault, and Orleans.