How Wilfried Nancy celebrates his first Celtic victory

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The Celtic Star

·23 dicembre 2025

How Wilfried Nancy celebrates his first Celtic victory

Wilfried Nancy marked his first victory as Celtic manager by sharing the moment with players and staff gathered in the dugout…

Celtic manager Wilfried Nancy reacts during the Premier League match between Celtic and Aberdeen at Celtic Park on December 21, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

The breakthrough for the Frenchman came on Sunday afternoon when Celtic secured a 3–1 victory over Aberdeen at Celtic Park, sealed by two late goals.

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Despite controlling the match for long spells and creating numerous chances, Celtic were made to wait before academy graduates Kieran Tierney and James Forrest struck late to settle the contest.

Footage posted on social media by The Fast Lovin’ Sin-Soaked Heathen – who sits in the Main Stand – later captured Nancy celebrating at full-time, greeting members of the coaching staff and squad with handshakes and embraces.

The 48 year-old was visibly smiling after a testing introduction to Scottish football that had seen him lose his opening four matches following defeats to Hearts, Roma, St Mirren and Dundee United.

That frustration was replaced by clear satisfaction as he acknowledged everyone in the technical area once the result was confirmed.

Celtic manager Wilfried Nancy reacts as he his team score their first goal during the Premier League match between Celtic and Aberdeen at Celtic Park on December 21, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Reflecting on the outcome after the match, Nancy said via Celtic’s official YouTube channel: “What I told my players, I’m really proud of what they did. Obviously, we had so many chances, and there could have been many, many goals.”

“Suddenly, against 10 men, you concede a goal like this, I think we could have been down, but they didn’t do it. They kept attacking, attack, attack, attack, with waves, waves and waves. I think that the two goals that we scored are the reward of the grit and the resilience that they showed.”

“Knowing the fact that, obviously, we lost so many games and they were able to come back and to be shown, this is something that I really enjoyed seeing.”

Celtic manager Wilfried Nancy reacts during the Premier League match between Celtic and Aberdeen at Celtic Park on December 21, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Celtic now have a week to prepare for their visit to Livingston before ending the year with a tough test against Motherwell at Fir Park. Hopefully Sunday can be a turning point for both the players, and Wilfried Nancy himself.

Conor Spence