Celtic Football Club have brought Wilfried Nancy’s reign to an abrupt end, dismissing the head coach only 33 days after his appointment, marking one of the shortest managerial spells in the club’s modern era. The decision came after a dramatic collapse in form that left the team trailing in the Scottish Premiership and facing mounting pressure from supporters.
Nancy arrived in early December on a long-term deal, tasked with modernising Celtic’s playing style and sustaining domestic dominance. Instead, results deteriorated rapidly, with the Frenchman overseeing six defeats in eight matches across all competitions. Performances were inconsistent, defensive organisation faltered, and confidence visibly drained from the squad.
A major setback came in the League Cup final defeat to St Mirren, a result that shocked supporters and removed the club’s first realistic chance of silverware this season. That loss significantly intensified scrutiny on Nancy’s methods and raised early doubts over his suitability for the role.
The decisive moment arrived in the Old Firm derby, where Celtic fell to a 3–1 home defeat against Rangers after relinquishing control of the match. The result widened the gap to their rivals and triggered an immediate backlash, with discontent among fans becoming impossible to ignore.
In confirming the dismissal, the club announced that Nancy’s entire coaching team also departed, including assistants Kwame Ampadu, Jules Gueguen and Maxime Chalier, alongside Head of Football Operations Paul Tisdale. The scale of the departures underlined the depth of the reset now underway at Celtic Park.
The contrast with the period immediately before Nancy’s appointment was striking. Martin O’Neill, acting as interim manager, had guided Celtic to seven wins in eight matches, stabilising the squad and restoring momentum. Expectations were high that Nancy would build on that platform, but the sudden tactical shift and poor results proved damaging.
Celtic now embark on another managerial search, seeking a figure capable of uniting the dressing room, calming supporter unrest and salvaging a season that still offers opportunities but demands urgent stability.
