Celtic have officially sacked Wilfried Nancy, just 33 days after he was appointed to replace Brendan Rodgers at Parkhead. The former Columbus Crew manager had a nightmare reign in Glasgow, winning just two of the eight games he was in charge of and losing the other six. He also oversaw a humiliating defeat to St Mirren in the Scottish League Cup final, but his spell at Celtic came to a new low with Saturday’s defeat at home to Rangers.
The reigning Scottish champions were drawn away by their Old Firm rivals, who came back from goal difference to win 3-1 at Celtic Park. At the end of the match, there were thousands of empty seats and loud jeers rang out at the final whistle. Some fans waited outside the stadium to protest against Nancy and the club’s owners.
The result against Rangers ultimately decided the 48-year-old’s fate, with Celtic confirming on Monday afternoon that he had been relieved of his duties.
In a statement: “Celtic Football Club today announces that it has decided to terminate the contract of manager Wilfried Nancy with immediate effect.
The club would like to thank Wilfried for his efforts and wish him and his family all the best for the future. Wilfried’s assistants Kwame Ampadu, Jules Gueghen and Maxime Charrier will also be leaving the club and they will continue our goodwill.
“The club can also confirm that Paul Tisdale has stepped down from his role as Head of Football Operations. We would like to thank Paul for the contribution he has made in that role. Further updates will be provided to supporters as soon as practical.”
This leaves Celtic facing the possibility of appointing a third permanent manager this season. They launched a campaign with Mr Rodgers at the helm, but he resigned in October and Martin O’Neill took over on an interim basis.
Nancy arrived from Columbus Crew last month, but was unable to stabilize the ship and left after just 33 days.
In his final interview after the Rangers defeat, he claimed he still had the support of the board and suggested he could turn things around.
He said: “It was disappointing because we deserved more today, but we still needed more goals.In the second half, we conceded three goals from a throw-in.”
“It’s hard to accept, but this is the reality. This is not about players or tactics, it’s about the moment. This is not about me. I know what this match means, so this is a disappointment to the fans.
“I understand the disappointment, but we also see what we can do. We’re really close and there’s a lot we can turn around.
“Otherwise, I wouldn’t be speaking like this. I truly believe we can turn things around. We’re working with the board.”
