Celtic FC are on the verge of hiring Wilfried Nancy as manager after contacting the Columbus Crew to obtain the MLS club’s permission, multiple media outlets reported Monday.
The Crew’s head coach for the past three seasons, Nancy steered Columbus to the MLS Cup championship in 2023 and was the league’s Coach of the Year in 2024.
Columbus reached a third straight postseason in 2025 as the Eastern Conference’s seventh-place finisher. FC Cincinnati eliminated Nancy’s side from the first round on Nov. 8 by winning the rubber match of a best-of-three series.
Following weeks of discussion between Celtic and Nancy, his move to the Scottish giant will materialize once an agreement is reached with the Crew.
Brendan Rodgers resigned as Celtic manager on Oct. 27 after the Glasgow club – the Scottish Premiership’s four-time reigning champion – lost consecutive matches to domestic opposition. Interim replacement Martin O’Neill has overseen three league victories and a 3-1 defeat of archrival Rangers in the Scottish League Cup semifinals.
First-place Hearts hold a four-point lead over Celtic in the Scottish Premiership table.
Discussions continue about which Crew assistants will join Nancy in Glasgow, according to ESPN.
Columbus offered to extend Nancy’s contract past 2026 and make him the highest-paid manager in MLS. Nancy reportedly declined because of his desire to manage overseas.
The 48-year-old Frenchman led Columbus to Leagues Cup glory in 2024 and won the 2021 Canadian Championship in his first of two seasons as head coach of CF Montreal.
Nancy previously assisted numerous Montreal head coaches, including famed countryman Thierry Henry, after coaching in the club’s youth academy system beginning in 2011.
Nancy kickstarted a decade-long playing career in France as a defender for fourth-tier Toulon from 1995-98.
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