Wilfried Nancy’s backroom staff revealed as Celtic agree three more deals – one is ex-Arsenal midfielder
Celtic have confirmed the appointment of Wilfried Nancy, who will be joined by several of his staff members from Columbus Crew.
Celtic beat Dundee 1-0 on Wednesday, in what was Martin O’Neill‘s final game in charge of the Bhoys since returning on an interim basis.
The 73-year-old took over after Brendan Rodgers resigned as Celtic boss, and has left his replacement with a team who have won their last five consecutive fixtures across all competitions.
Nancy‘s first match in charge will be against Hearts on Sunday, with Celtic Park ready to welcome their new manager.
Celtic had been encouraged to keep O’Neill in charge for the League Cup final against St. Mirren, but the former Aston Villa boss was happy to hand over the reins.
Former Arsenal man to join Wilfried Nancy at Celtic
Nancy’s first managerial role came just four years ago, when he took over from Thierry Henry at MLS club CF Montreal.
The Frenchman would go on to set numerous records with the Canadian club, including a league record 11 away wins in the 2022 season.
At the end of the year, the 48-year-old was named head coach at Columbus Crew, where he would win the MLS Cup and the Leagues Cup.
| Wilfried Nancy | CF Montreal | Columbus Crew |
| Wins | 38 | 71 |
| Draws | 16 | 32 |
| Losses | 25 | 33 |
| Scored | 131 | 282 |
| Conceded | 112 | 201 |
Nancy would be named MLS Coach of the Year in 2024 for his efforts, with the former defender attracting acclaim for his attractive style of play.
He will take fitness coach Jules Gueguen, video performance coach Maxime Chalier, and assistant coach Kwame Ampadu with him to Celtic.
The latter enjoyed an interesting career as a player, making two appearances for Arsenal between 1988 and 1991 before later playing for West Brom, Swansea City, and Leyton Orient, among others.
After announcing his retirement, Ampadu would manage youth teams at the Arsenal academy before serving as an assistant to Henry at Monaco.
In 2020, he would join Montreal with the Arsenal legend, staying on to work under Nancy and later moving with the Frenchman to Columbus.
What have Columbus Crew said about Nancy?
A lot can be told about a manager from the way in which they leave a previous club. In Nancy’s case, Columbus have made their feelings clear.
General manager Issa Tall said following confirmation of the Frenchman’s departure on Wednesday: “It’s been a pleasure to work with Wilfried for three years as we were able to achieve many great things together during his time at the club.
“Although we wish it was in future years, we recognise Wilfried’s desire to test his skillset and philosophies outside of our league.
“We wish him the best at Celtic, and he’ll always be a significant part of our club’s great history.”
Celtic fans can be assured that the man they have hired is very highly rated, but his true test will come when he is standing in the dugout at Celtic Park.