Wilfried Nancy Nears Celtic Manager Position Amid Tensions

Wilfried Nancy has achieved notable success in Major League Soccer (MLS) but has yet to take on a coaching role in Europe.

Recent reports from BBC Scotland indicate that Nancy is nearing an appointment as the manager of Celtic FC. Discussions between the Scottish champions and the French head coach of the Columbus Crew have progressed significantly.

Celtic has been actively seeking a new manager following Brendan Rodgers’ resignation last month. In the interim, former manager Martin O’Neill, assisted by Shaun Maloney, has overseen the team’s last five matches.

Under O’Neill’s guidance, Celtic has secured victory in four domestic matches; however, they suffered a setback with a loss to Midtjylland in the Europa League. Currently, Hearts leads the defending champions by four points at the top of the Scottish Premiership, although Celtic holds a game in hand.

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

Should Nancy’s appointment be finalized, he will take over amidst existing tensions between the club and its supporters. Last week, Celtic’s annual meeting was disrupted as shareholders expressed discontent with remarks by Ross Desmond, son of major shareholder Dermot, culminating in chants of “sack the board.”

After the recent win against St Mirren, O’Neill emphasized the need for “some sort of unification” within the club, responding to fans’ demands for changes in the club’s management.

Nancy’s coaching journey began in Canada after playing in his native France, including a stint with Toulon. He succeeded Thierry Henry as head coach of CF Montreal in 2021, leading the team to win the Canadian Championship that same year.

In 2022, he transitioned to the Columbus Crew, where he guided the team to an MLS Cup victory in 2023 and a Leagues Cup title the previous year, earning him the title of MLS Coach of the Year. However, his team finished seventh in the Eastern Conference and twelfth overall this season.

In total, Nancy has managed 215 games in North America, and a move to Celtic would mark his first managerial position in Europe.