Celtic FC Contacts Columbus Crew for Wilfried Nancy
Celtic FC has formalized an approach to Columbus Crew, according to sources close to the situation, to discuss the possible hiring of Wilfried Nancy as their next coach.
The conversations between Nancy and Celtic have been ongoing for weeks. The Scottish club, the current champion, has finally contacted the Crew to finalize an agreement that could take Nancy to the Scottish Premiership.
In addition, negotiations are underway regarding which members of Nancy’s technical team will join him in Glasgow.Wilfried Nancy joined Columbus Crew in 2022.Celtic have been without a permanent manager since Brendan Rogers resigned on October 27th following a difficult start to the season. Martin O’Neill has been in charge of the team on an interim basis since then.
The Crew had discussed with Nancy in recent years the extension of his contract, which currently extends until 2026, and making him the highest-paid coach in MLS. However, Nancy declined, indicating that he did not wish to sign a long-term agreement and that he had ambitions to coach abroad.
If the agreement with Celtic is finalized, Nancy would conclude a successful three-year period in Columbus, where he won the MLS Cup in 2023 and the Leagues Cup in 2024.
After this last campaign, Nancy was named MLS Coach of the Year.
In addition to this recognition, Nancy was praised for implementing an attractive style of football, based on possession, with a team that in 2025 was slightly outside the top third in terms of player salary expenditure.
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Nancy also had a successful stint as coach of CF Montréal, where he coached from 2021 to 2022, winning the Canadian Championship in 2021.
He ascended to that position after Thierry Henry’s sudden resignation. Prior to this appointment, Nancy had spent 10 years in Montreal, coaching in their academy and then joining the first team as an assistant in 2016. He left Montreal in December 2022 following a disagreement with owner Joey Saputo.
Nancy had a modest playing career, starting with fourth-division Toulon and then spending time at other lower-league teams, including Beaucairois, Raon-l’Etape, Ivry, Noisy-le-Sec, Chatellerault, and Orleans.
