Wilfried Nancy linked with return to management almost a year after Celtic nightmare | OneFootball

Former Celtic boss Wilfried Nancy is reportedly in contention for a return to MLS – although the Frenchman is still keen to land another opportunity in Europe.

30th December 2025; Fir Park, Motherwell, Scotland; Scottish Premiership Football, Motherwell versus Celtic; Celtic manager Wilfried Nancy

It is almost a year since Celtic appointed Nancy from Columbus Crew as Martin O’Neill’s successor following an impressive interim spell from the veteran manager.

Nancy arrived in Glasgow with an excellent reputation in North America but no previous managerial experience in European football.

His attempt to immediately transform Celtic’s style proved disastrous, with the Hoops losing each of his first four matches – an unprecedented start for a manager in the club’s history.

Back-to-back defeats against Motherwell and Rangers over the New Year period ultimately brought his brief reign to an end, with Nancy and sporting director Paul Tisdale departing after just 33 days.

According to The Athletic, Nancy has since knocked back approaches from several MLS clubs as he looks to put his Celtic experience behind him by securing another job in Europe.

However, Nancy and his family are now living back in the United States and LAFC could offer him a route back into management following the departure of Marc Dos Santos.

The 49-year-old has also attracted interest in his native France, holding talks with Lorient, Nice and Strasbourg during the summer, although all three eventually went in different directions.

Nancy’s reputation remains particularly strong in MLS following his successful spell with Columbus Crew, where he won honours at both domestic and continental level and was named MLS Coach of the Year in 2024.

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