Wilfried Nancy on the Verge of Celtic Appointment Amid Club Tensions

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

Recent reports from BBC Scotland reveal 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 searching for a new manager since the resignation of Brendan Rodgers last month. In the interim, former manager Martin O’Neill, alongside Shaun Maloney, has been overseeing the team’s operations. Since returning to the role, O’Neill has won all four of his domestic matches, although the team faced a setback with a defeat against Midtjylland in the Europa League.

Currently, Hearts leads the defending champions by four points in the Scottish Premiership standings, although Celtic holds a game in hand.

Celtic is set to visit Feyenoord for their fifth match in the Europa League this Thursday, having accrued four points thus far. Additionally, they will defend the Premier Sports Cup in the upcoming final against St Mirren, who recently lost 1-0 at home to O’Neill’s squad.

Should Nancy’s appointment come to fruition, he will start his tenure amid rising tensions between the club and its supporters. Last week, Celtic’s annual meeting was abruptly halted following shareholder jeers directed at comments from Ross Desmond, the son of major shareholder Dermot, alongside chants demanding board changes.

After the recent victory in Paisley, O’Neill emphasized the need for “some sort of unification” within the club, as fans have voiced their concerns regarding the management.

Nancy’s coaching journey began in Canada after playing in his home country, including a stint with Toulon. He took charge of CF Montreal in 2021 following Thierry Henry’s resignation and guided the team to the Canadian Championship that same year.

In 2022, he transitioned to the Columbus Crew, leading them to the MLS Cup in 2023 and the Leagues Cup the previous year, for which he was honored as the MLS Coach of the Year. However, despite these achievements, the Crew finished seventh in the Eastern Conference and 12th overall this season.

To date, Nancy has managed a total of 215 games in North America, marking a potential first foray into European management with his anticipated role at Celtic.