Wilfried Nancy Nears Celtic Manager Appointment Amid Fan Unrest

Wilfried Nancy is on the brink of being appointed as the new manager of Celtic FC, according to reports from BBC Scotland. Negotiations between Celtic and Nancy, who currently serves as the head coach of Major League Soccer’s Columbus Crew, have progressed significantly.

Celtic has been in search of a new manager since Brendan Rodgers stepped down last month. In his absence, former manager Martin O’Neill, supported by Shaun Maloney, has taken charge of the team for the last five matches. Under O’Neill’s leadership, the team has secured four victories in domestic competitions but suffered a defeat against Midtjylland in the Europa League.

Currently, Hearts hold a four-point lead over the defending champions at the top of the Scottish Premiership; however, Celtic has a game in hand. This Thursday, Celtic will face Feyenoord in their fifth Europa League match, having accumulated four points so far. They are also set to defend the Premier Sports Cup in next month’s final against St Mirren, who recently lost 1-0 to O’Neill’s side.

Nancy’s potential appointment comes amid rising tensions between Celtic’s management and its supporters. Last week, the club’s annual meeting was disrupted when shareholders voiced their dissatisfaction with comments from Ross Desmond, the son of major shareholder Dermot, leading to chants of “sack the board”.

Following Saturday’s win against St Mirren, O’Neill emphasized the need for “some sort of unification” within the club, as fans have called for changes in its management.

Having played in his native France, including a stint with Toulon, Nancy transitioned to coaching in Canada. In 2021, he took over as head coach of CF Montreal after Thierry Henry’s resignation, leading the team to victory in the Canadian Championship later that year. Nancy then moved to the Columbus Crew in 2022, guiding the team to the MLS Cup in 2023 and the Leagues Cup the previous year, earning himself the title of MLS Coach of the Year.

Despite this success, the Crew finished seventh in the Eastern Conference and 12th overall this year. If appointed, Nancy’s role at Celtic would mark his first managerial position in Europe, having overseen 215 games in North America.