Wilfried Nancy on the Brink of Celtic Appointment Amid Fan Tensions

Wilfried Nancy, who has experienced notable success in Major League Soccer (MLS), is reportedly close to becoming the new manager of Celtic FC, according to BBC Scotland.

Discussions between the Scottish champions and Nancy, currently the head coach of the Columbus Crew, have progressed to an advanced stage. Celtic has been in search of a new manager since Brendan Rodgers’ resignation last month. In the interim, former manager Martin O’Neill, alongside Shaun Maloney, has overseen five matches, achieving victories in four domestic fixtures, while facing a defeat against Midtjylland in the Europa League.

At present, Hearts are leading the defending champions by four points at the top of the Scottish Premiership, although Celtic possesses a game in hand. The team is set to visit Feyenoord for their fifth Europa League match on Thursday, having secured four points thus far. Additionally, they will defend the Premier Sports Cup in next month’s final against St Mirren, who suffered a 1-0 loss to O’Neill’s squad on Saturday.

If Nancy’s appointment materializes, he will commence his role at Celtic amidst existing tensions between the club and its supporters. Last week, an annual meeting was disrupted when shareholders expressed their dissatisfaction with comments made by Ross Desmond, the son of major shareholder Dermot, leading to chants of “sack the board.”

O’Neill emphasized the need for “some sort of unification” within the club after fans voiced calls for changes in management during their recent victory over St Mirren.

Nancy’s coaching career began in Canada after playing in his homeland for teams including Toulon. Following Thierry Henry’s resignation in 2021, he took the helm at CF Montreal, guiding the team to a Canadian Championship victory that same year. His subsequent move to the Columbus Crew in 2022 saw him lead the team to the MLS Cup in 2023, as well as the Leagues Cup the previous year, earning him the title of MLS Coach of the Year.

However, the Crew finished seventh in the Eastern Conference this year and ranked 12th overall in the league. To date, Nancy has overseen 215 matches in North America, and a potential move to Celtic would mark his inaugural managerial role in Europe.