Breaking news: Celtic have officially announced the appointment of Wilfried Nancy as their new head coach

The 48-year-old takes over at Parkhead after three impressive seasons in charge of the Columbus Crew in Major League Soccer.

Nancy joined the Crew at the end of 2022 after transforming CF Montréal from long-time strugglers into one of the league’s top sides.

He won the MLS Cup in his first year in Ohio, added a Leagues Cup title in 2024, and guided the team to the final of the newly rebranded CONCACAF Champions Cup.

Celtic had hoped to appoint their new head coach during the previous international break, but negotiations with Columbus proved more complicated than expected, as the club still had Nancy under contract until 2026 and required compensation.

Nancy was finally named MLS Coach of the Year in 2024 after narrowly missing out in previous seasons. However, the 2025 campaign was more challenging as several key Crew players suffered injuries.

The team finished seventh in the Eastern Conference and were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.
Celtic, meanwhile, sit four points behind Premiership leaders Hearts following a disappointing start to the season, which included a 3–1 defeat to the Edinburgh side that ultimately led to Rodgers’ resignation.

Nancy arrives in the middle of a demanding run of fixtures, with a significant January transfer window ahead. Star attacker Daizen Maeda is expected to depart and will need replacing. Nancy’s first match in charge will be against Hearts on December 7.

Nancy’s Statement 

“I’m absolutely delighted to be appointed Celtic manager. It’s a tremendous honour for me and my family.

“Before anything else, I want to thank Martin O’Neill and Shaun Maloney for their fantastic work with the team in recent weeks. Their contribution has been huge, and I know our supporters recognise everything they’ve done. They have my full respect, and I hope to meet them soon to thank them personally.

“Now it’s my responsibility to continue that good work and push this great club forward. Celtic is one of world football’s truly historic clubs — full of passion, atmosphere, and extremely high standards — and I’m ready for that.

“I understand the history and the values of Celtic, and I know exactly what’s expected of me. My main goal is simple: to deliver an exciting, attacking, winning side that our supporters can be proud of.

“I can’t wait to meet our fans soon and hopefully share many memorable moments together.”