With a UK work permit attained and (I presume) Uefa coaching badges secured, Wilfried Nancy yesterday became the 20th permanent manager in Celtic’s history. The 48-year-old has four years managerial experience in Major League Soccer with CF Montreal and Columbus Crew.
In his first season, he won the Canadian Championship. The following year, he took Montreal to the CONCACAF Champions League quarter final, where they lost to Mexican side Cruz Azul. An interesting insight into his character revealed that year, when Wilfried got into a spat with the owner of Montreal after a bad defeat. Nancy asked to be relieved from his contract with immediate effect, but was talked into staying until the end of the season.
Three years ago this Friday Columbus Crew bought out his Montreal contract and brought Wilfried to Ohio as their new head coach. In his first season at Columbus he won the MLS Cup and in 2024 he won the Leagues Cup. He also got to the Champions League Final that term and won the MLS Coach of the Year award. The season which ended last month was less successful, with Columbus finishing the MLS in 7th place.
The strength of character he so publicly displayed at Montreal will be an asset in Glasgow; this is not a city which rewards meekness in its football employees. His core talent is that of a tactician, with his favoured style regarded as attacking (which also known as risky).
I watched last night’s performance through the prism of what the new manager would make of his players. Auston Trusty broke through the lines and was regularly found on the wings in an attacking position; consistent with how Nancy setup at Columbus.
That aside, watching last night’s performance, Wilfried will have a good idea why the job became available. Celtic moved to joint top of the table last night, rescued from aimlessness by an heroic effort from Martin O’Neill, but I am sure the message was made clear to him at interview, this is Celtic at the bottom of the curve. The team needs to be rebuilt in 2026.
The immediate task is to deal with Hearts on Sunday. Hearts maybe in a rut, but they are better than Dundee, Sunday will be a challenge. To those who would prefer Wilfried’s competitive introduction was against lesser opponents, need I remind you of Lincoln Red Imps, or Artmedia Bratislava?
My finger in the air reading of the reaction to the appointment is that some people have learned from their deranged response to the appointment of Ange Postecoglou in 2021. That day’s comments on CQN are worth a revisit. Wilfried is an unknown quantity in European football, his merits were earned in an environment often overlooked. At 48, he is seven years younger than Ange when he arrived from Japan and transformed the club. The parallels are not perfect, but they are bound to have given Celtic some comfort that appointing a middle aged coach who is not on the UK/European circuit can offer a greater return.
Brother Walfried takes over from the Blessed Martin. Martin O’Neill answered the call with Celtic in a tailspin having lost their previous two Premiership games. In his short time, he collected 15 points from five league games, won a League Cup semifinal and beat Feyenoord at De Kuip, the only reversal at Midtjylland.
That is a remarkable return for a remarkable football manager and man. His charm has been inspiring and his considerable legacy enhanced. Who thought that possible?
188 Comments- Pages:
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bournesouprecipe on 4th December 2025 1:55 pm
I would have paid good money to be in the room with Wilfried and the collective Celtic Board, when Wilfried asked how the club operated their transfer process ??
He still joined so maybe there is a Transfer Process
Roll on January
HH
67ECW
Great to hear, sorry read, that WN will get every support from the board/exec, nothing to worry about out then🙃😬
Bienvenue en Ecosse, M Wilfried.
Et bienvenue au Celtic de Glasgow.
ps Noticed that Tony Bloom and friends are attracting less than favourable publicity.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=R0Og0zHG_7Q
From 2 minutes on. You can see how much Martin loves the players and how much they love him. Amazing bond in such a short space of time.
That I’m not sure what the Wilfred era will bring, is largely down to my own ignorance.
I hope for the best
Transfer window could be significant
We know some of the squad had agitated for a move previously. Where does their loyalty lie? BR, MoN, new guy? Themselves?
We’re a few departures and further injuries away from a really tough 2nd half of the season
Could get interesting
Big Wilf and Jota in the Brazen Head having a game of pool and a few Guinness. Glad to see him settling in so quickly.
😂🍻
Fritzsong
was tempted to ask where all the Tony Bloom chat was this morning….
or is it all Deerek M’s fault ?
with all the booing/fan unrest at the end of the game in Tynecastle, can we expect a statement from Baby Bloom ?
” Much-maligned Celtic chief executive Michael Nicholson was the first person to greet Nancy at Lennoxtown. And the two men shared a warm embrace before the former Columbus Crew gaffer then shown around the training facility.”
(There is a photo that goes along with this).
Maybe Mikey’s a better hugger than a talker. My wife accuses me of the same.
Welcome to Glasgow Celtic Wilfried.
You are a lucky man.
Enjoy the joy.
HH
Hope the team remember the ole’s from the minis at Tynecastle !!😠
Gerintaethum
Welcome Wilfried..… best of luck 👍☘️☘️
Never mind Maeda’s dull yin, Yang’s first touch at full pelt is a belter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubzxEGum9FA
Welcome Wilfried.
https://x.com/CelticFC/status/1996602886692692260?t=uiKdbb9651xDs8kKzGUQNA&s=19
We support you evermore
HH
Spot the connection.
6th May 1970 San Siro
16th Sep. 1981 Celtic Park.
Welcome to Celtic, Wilfried, and congratulations. I’d imagine nobody lands a prestigious role at a well-run club like Celtic without negotiating their way through a rigorous recruitment process and fighting off a range of highly qualified fellow applicants.
It’s a (potentially) highly rewarding job, with plenty of opportunities to win things – old firm championships, old firm cups and the perennial negative net spend title – although I suspect it won’t be too long before you are totally frustrated by the lack of ambition and the need (sorry, “need”) to be held back by old firmery. Just the way it is, I’m afraid.
Anyway, enjoy the good times while they last!
Deniabhoy
Hugs AND shrugs? Multi-talented!
Just for clarity – this poster is a self confessed Brendan fan – who feels he was hard done by
However we move on
It’s great to see Wilfried ‘officially” announced
Yes like most I have my doubts – but I had my doubts about Ange !!
As our Manager he automatically gets my full support
I hope the 3 Accountants (Peter Michael and Chris) apply the same support
Welcome to Celtic Wilfried enjoy every minute
67ECW
Michael’s a lawyer
GlassTwoThirdsFull on 4th December 2025 4:16 pm
Welcome to Celtic, Wilfried, and congratulations. I’d imagine nobody lands a prestigious role at a well-run club like Celtic without negotiating their way through a rigorous recruitment process and fighting off a range of highly qualified fellow applicants.
==============================================
Either that ,or he stands in the showers with his fingers crossed ! -)))))
Welcome Wilfried.
3 points on Sunday will be a good start.
Looking forward to the January window.
The Battered Bunnet on 4th December 2025 4:55 pm
I hope the 2 Accountants and the Lawyer apply the same support
67ECW
Is the real reason Nancy has moved to Celtic that he shares the same distaste for American food as fellow countrymen?
https://www.facebook.com/reel/2036837833716659
https://readceltic.com/2025/12/04/if-lionel-messi-is-a-major-fan-of-wilfried-nancys-style-of-management-then-celtic-might-just-be-in-for-a-treat/
Hmm.
HH
oot.
Here we go Wilfred era. A massive massive gamble by the board. Hope he took advice from MON on what this team needs to improve. Hang in there till Jan – then get it right with 3-4 quality signings.
Players been through emotional ringer lately – that’s why I wanted MON till end of season – will be interesting to see how we respond on Sunday
History of the Celtic view
By Celtic underground
https://x.com/hailhailhistory/status/1996488787434889620?t=5GfqBDQ8VgEuet_YXqxbMA&s=19
HH
We shall thrash the embra hun keech on Sunday.
Do we really need signings in January? Apparently we already have a team of Ferraris…..
I’ve got meself wound up about the penalties
At times like this I miss the cqn old guard , those who have passed on- they always said to me – get real, it’s always been like this and always will be!
Ghod bless you all.
Brother Wilfried’s first interview for those who care.
https://youtu.be/ZdHoRU4i77U?si=cXMFueAx_h8oCmR1
Very impressive interview with the new gaffer on Celtic TV. Best of luck Mr Nancy!
JackieMac – get real, it’s always been this way . . . at least that’s what my Dad tells me.
The funny thing is, if you speak to their fans, or take a look at their Follow Follow forum, they are just as certain that the refs and the SFA favour us. They think we get all the decisions. That the refs play added time until we score, never show us red cards when deserved etc. etc. Collum, Beaton and co. are all Tims and PL controls them all.
I think since VAR was introduced, much of the most blatant bias that we gre up with is slowly disappearing. Now I think when the refs and VAR get it wrong, it is mainly due to incompetence and a cheap implementation of VAR (compared to the EPL). You only have to watch some of the other games to see that there are plenty of bad decisions every week. It has nothing to do with what team the ref supports or what lodge he is a member of.
I still think we are hard done by compared to them but in recent years they have gone to war so often with the SFA and the SPFL I doubt they have many real friends left there. They try to exert influence through fear but the bully boy tactics don’t work as well as they used to.
Any news on the injury suffered by Saracchi
.
HH
As I see it, Wilfried has a job to do in changing the outlook to attack. For years under Brendan, we at best played sideways, at worst, backwards. That system is ingrained on the players and must get it out .
Attack is the best form of defence, simple
kingLUBO
DeniaBhoy on 4th December 2025 6:21 pm
JackieMac – get real, it’s always been this way …
I think since VAR was introduced, much of the most blatant bias that we gre up with is slowly disappearing. Now I think when the refs and VAR get it wrong, it is mainly due to incompetence and a cheap implementation of VAR (compared…
_____
I think since Willie Collum replaced Crawford Allan and also introduced the VAR reviews, the pattern of assistance has greatly diminished. Albeit there’s been a few helping hands the last few weeks.
thanks bhoys – jeezo
The Blogger Formerly Known As GM – thanks for the interview link. When he was discussing his background team it made me think back to Howe who reportedly didn’t take the job because his team didn’t want to move to Glasgow.
Nancy will have had to convince his family, as well as his assistants and their families, that moving from Columbus Ohio to Glasgow is a good move for them. I don’t know if any of them have young children, if their wives have careers, if they have elderly family members that they look after and so on and so forth. But it doesn’t take much of an effort to understand that this appointment is a lot more complicated than just getting a manager to agree to join us. A reluctant assistant coach or doubtful wife could have been enough for him to say thanks but no thanks.
It will be a massive move for all of his circle and I imagine some of them will wonder soon enough if it was the right thing to do. Quality of life, of social amenities, of schools etc. will all come under the microscope. When they start being called fenian b******s, paedos, tarriers and so on and so forth they somehow can laugh it off.
I genuinely admire anyone who is willing to leave behind a very good gig, uproot his family and start again in a very different world. It speaks volumes of the man’s self belief that he is making the right move.