‘It’s huge’ – This is the ‘real reason’ Celtic sacked Wilfried Nancy
Champions League football may have been a critical factor behind Celtic sacking manager Wilfried Nancy after just 33 days in charge.
That is according to football finance expert Dr Dan Plumley, who has exclusively told Football Insider that Champions League revenue can make a difference to Celtic‘s transfer budget.
Martin O’Neill has been installed as Celtic’s interim manager following the sacking of Nancy, with the Glasgow club third in the Scottish Premiership table.
Celtic’s 3-1 defeat to Rangers was a damaging blow to their title hopes, with Nancy having lost six of his eight games in charge in all competitions.
Rangers ‘added pressure’ to Wilfried Nancy sacking
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, Plumley believes O’Neill swiftly replaced Nancy due to Celtic’s urge to qualify for the Champions League.
“It’s always going to be about winning the title, but ultimately, they’re trying to gain access to the Champions League,” Plumley said.
“And I think, financially, that’s always the biggest difference in terms of year by year for those two clubs. I do think there are, of course, other optics at play here with this one.
“It’s such a quick turnaround, you know, there are other aspects of play that we’re perhaps not as aware of that are going on behind the scenes. It’s been a really turbulent season. I think the uptick of Rangers as well is something that’s added to the pressure.
“Danny Rohl, you know, has turned that around, and they look like they could maybe catch Hearts as well now. And they’ve [Celtic] had a defeat to Rangers, haven’t they, as well in that period, which is always a big blow. So there are other optics that I think we need to be mindful of here.
“But if you’re looking at the finances behind it, a huge part of this for Celtic every year is always can we get access to that Champions League group stage? And that’s going to mean additional revenue that, you know, is going to change the budget.”
Surprise contender named in Celtic job hunt
O’Neill has no intention of remaining at Celtic beyond the end of the season, with the club set to have a new manager in place next campaign.
Roberto Martinez has emerged as a contender for the Celtic job, with the 52-year-old currently in charge of the Portugal national team.
Martinez has had spells in the Premier League with Wigan and Everton, and played in the Scottish Premiership as a player for Motherwell.