Celtic may have hoped to bury the news of Wilfried Nancy's departure on January 5, 2026.
The Scottish champions announced that Nancy, his backroom team, and head of football Paul Tisdale had left the club on the same day that Manchester United sacked Ruben Amorim.
Nancy's time in charge was largely miserable from start to finish. It began with a loss to title-chasing Hearts and ended with a home defeat to Old Firm rivals Rangers, and it included a cup final shock at the hands of St. Mirren.
Fans quickly turned on him as performances looked disjointed, with the 3-1 derby defeat proving the final straw.
MORE: All-time head to head between Celtic and Rangers
Wilfried Nancy record at Celtic
Under Nancy, Celtic won just two and lost six of eight matches in all competitions.
This came after they claimed seven wins from eight games with interim boss Martin O'Neill in charge.
Their poor form included a run of four consecutive defeats, something they last endured way back in 1978.
Wilfried Nancy record at Celtic
| Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Goal difference | Win% |
| 8 | 2 | 0 | 6 | -8 | 25 |
How many games was Wilfried Nancy in charge of Celtic?
Nancy was in charge for just eight games in all competitions. It was the shortest managerial reign in the history of the club.
Five of those matches were in the Premiership. He also lost a UEFA Europa League match 3-0 to Roma, and the Scottish League Cup final 3-1 to St Mirren.
His final game was a 3-1 defeat to Rangers, which prompted protests from fans outside the stadium. A day later, he was sacked along with his coaching team and head of football Paul Tisdale.
'I'm going down the pub to celebrate!'
— BBC Sport Scotland (@BBCSportScot) January 5, 2026
Sir Rod Stewart reacts to the news that Wilfried Nancy has been sacked as Celtic boss ⤵️#BBCFootball pic.twitter.com/OhSE4Oe7XL
Wilfried Nancy career
A player mostly in France's lower leagues, Nancy cut his teeth in coaching in amateur football in Quebec, Canada. He then spent the best part of a decade working with Montreal Impact (now CF Montreal), firstly in their academy set-up, and then as assistant first-team coach.
Nancy succeeded Thierry Henry as head coach in March 2021 and saw his deal extended for the 2022 season two months later after winning the Canadian Championship. In 2022, they reached the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Champions League and enjoyed a club-record domestic MLS season, although they lost in the playoffs to New York City at the conference semifinal stage.
In December, Nancy took over at Columbus Crew, where he enjoyed his best spell. His team won the 2023 MLS Cup, defeating defending champions LAFC in the final, and then claimed the Leagues Cup and reached the CONCACAF Champions Cup final a year later. Nancy was named MLS Coach of the Year in November 2024.
He was appointed Celtic boss on December 3, 2025, but lasted only a month in the role.
Who will be next Celtic manager?
Martin O'Neill is the favourite to take the hotseat at Celtic Park, ahead of another successful former boss in Ange Postecoglou.
Ex-Celtic players turned coaches are also said to be in the running, including Shaun Maloney, O'Neill's assistant in his interim spell in charge, and Robbie Keane, who is head coach at Ferencvaros in Hungary.
Cardiff City boss Brian Barry-Murphy has also been linked.