Celtic have parted company with manager Wilfried Nancy following a dramatic slump in form, capped by Saturday’s 3-1 defeat at home to Rangers — his sixth loss in just eight matches.
The 48-year-old was appointed on a two-and-a-half-year contract after the conclusion of the Major League Soccer season with Columbus Crew and officially took charge on 4 December. However, a promising period under interim boss Martin O’Neill quickly unravelled following Nancy’s arrival.
Celtic had won seven of eight matches under O’Neill after Brendan Rodgers resigned in October to take up a role with Saudi Pro League side Al-Qadsiah. That momentum disappeared under Nancy, with results deteriorating sharply.
Nancy became the first manager in Celtic’s history to lose his opening two games in charge. Defeats followed in key fixtures, including a 3-1 loss to St Mirren in the Premier Sports Cup final and a 2-1 league defeat at Dundee United. The run marked Celtic’s first sequence of four consecutive defeats since a similar spell under Jock Stein in 1978.
Although back-to-back league victories over Aberdeen and Livingston briefly halted the slide, Celtic were then beaten 2-0 by Motherwell on Tuesday before suffering a damaging Old Firm defeat to Rangers, collapsing in a poor second-half performance.
In addition to Nancy’s exit, Celtic have also removed Paul Tisdale from his role as head of football operations. The former Exeter City and Stevenage manager had held the position since October 2024.
A short club statement confirmed the departures of Nancy and his coaching staff — Kwame Ampadu, Jules Gueguen and Maxime Chalier — and added that “a further update will be provided to supporters as soon as is practical”.
Nancy arrived in Glasgow with a strong reputation from Major League Soccer. After previously managing CF Montréal, he led Columbus Crew to MLS Cup glory in 2023 before winning the Leagues Cup and finishing second in the overall standings. He was named MLS Manager of the Year for 2024, despite Columbus later slipping to seventh in the Eastern Conference and 12th overall.
However, Nancy’s struggles at Celtic mean he departs having recorded just five wins in his last 20 matches as a head coach.