Celtic FC Pursues Wilfried Nancy as Next Manager

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

Nancy, aged 48, has reportedly been in discussions with Celtic for several weeks; however, prior to this contact, the reigning Scottish champions had not approached Columbus Crew. The parties are now “working to finalize an agreement that’s trending towards Wilfried moving to the Scottish Premiership,” the source indicated.

Discussions are also underway regarding which members of Nancy’s coaching staff may join him in Glasgow.

Since Brendan Rodgers’ resignation on October 27, following a challenging start to the season, Celtic has been without a permanent manager. Martin O’Neill has been managing the team on an interim basis during this period.

The Crew has engaged in discussions with Nancy over the past few years about extending his contract, which is currently set to run through 2026, with plans to make him the highest-paid manager in Major League Soccer (MLS). However, Nancy declined these offers, expressing his desire not to commit to a long-term deal and revealing his ambitions to manage internationally.

Should the agreement with Celtic be finalized, Nancy would conclude a successful three-year tenure with Columbus Crew, during which the team secured the MLS Cup in 2023 and the Leagues Cup in 2024. Following the latter victory, Nancy was recognized as the MLS Coach of the Year.

In addition to this accolade, Nancy has been commended for promoting an attractive, possession-based style of play with a team that, in 2025, ranked just below the top third concerning player salary expenditures.

Previously, Nancy had a successful tenure as manager of CF Montréal from 2021 to 2022, winning the Canadian Championship in 2021. He assumed this role after the unexpected resignation of Thierry Henry. Before his managerial position, Nancy dedicated a decade to Montreal’s organization, starting in their academy before serving as an assistant coach for the first team in 2016. He left Montreal in December 2022 following a disagreement with owner Joey Saputo.

Nancy’s playing career was modest; he began with fourth-tier Toulon and played for several lower-league clubs, including Beaucairois, Raon-l’Étape, Ivry, Noisy-le-Sec, Châtellerault, and Orléans.