Celtic appoint Columbus Crew boss Wilfried Nancy as new permanent manager

Celtic have announced the appointment of Wilfried Nancy as the club’s new manager.

Nancy has joined the Premiership champions from MLS side Columbus Crew after negotiations between the two clubs concluded and a two-and-a-half-year contract was agreed with the Frenchman.

The 48-year-old is now confirmed as the permanent successor to Brendan Rodgers after he quit in October, and brings to an end Martin O’Neill’s spell as interim boss.

The club confirmed the appointment less than an hour before kick-off in their game against Dundee.

Nancy said: “I am so happy to be named Celtic Manager, it is a massive honour for myself and my family.

“Before I say anything else I want to do one thing – I want to thank the great Martin O’Neill and Shaun Maloney for all they have done in recent weeks with the team. The job they have done has been fantastic.

“These guys have given so much to the club across so many years and I know our fans, like me, all recognise the brilliant job they have done during this recent period. They have my total respect and my total gratitude. I hope to meet them both very soon and thank them personally.

“Now its up to me to carry on this great work and carry our great club forward and I can’t wait to get going and become part of such a brilliant institution. Celtic is one of the world’s proper football clubs, real atmosphere and heart and soul, real high standards and real demands, which I am ready for.

“I know the history, I know the values of Celtic and I know what is expected of me on this journey. I know what Celtic means to so many people and my No. 1 aim will be simple – to give our fans a strong, exciting, attacking, winning football team they can be so proud of.

“I look forward to seeing all our fans very soon and I hope we can enjoy some great moments together.”

After a playing career in the French lower leagues, Nancy started coaching non-professional sides in Quebec twenty years ago before moving to Montreal in 2011 to help create their youth academy.

Nancy spent time coaching the youth teams at the club before taking on the first team assistant manager’s job in 2016. Following Thierry Henry’s resignation in 2021 he was named as the new head coach of CF Montreal.

He took the Quebec side to the Canadian Championship and qualified for the CONCACAF Champions League in his first season, and led the team to the quarter-finals of the continental competition the following season, as well as reaching the MLS play-offs.

Nancy moved to Columbus Crew in late 2022 and finished third in the league before coming through the play-offs to be crowned as MLS Cup champions. The following year he secured the Leagues Cup and took the team to the Champions League final, losing to Pachuca. He was named as MLS Coach of the Year.

The new Celtic boss faces the task of putting the team on a successful course after a turbulent start to the season.

Rodgers left after a tense and troubled time that began with a transfer window where the club failed to strengthen the squad and saw players depart without being adequately replaced. Champions League qualification ended with a defeat to Kazakh side Kairat Almaty, and the team has had mixed results in their Europa League campaign so far.

Celtic also trail Hearts in the Premiership table but Nancy will have an early chance to win silverware with the side set to face St Mirren in the Premier Sports Cup on December 14.