Wilfried Nancy reflects on Celtic spell and why it became ‘irrational’ | OneFootball

Wilfried Nancy has reflected on his brief spell in charge of Celtic, admitting the situation eventually spiralled beyond football as he felt events became “irrational.”

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

The Frenchman discussed his time in Glasgow during an appearance on the Sur La Ligne podcast, where he explained why the opportunity initially appealed despite the challenges awaiting him.

Nancy said: “It was great because I experienced a new culture, a new environment.

“Of course, Celtic is renowned for what they’ve achieved.

“So, the idea was to bring something new.

“That’s why I was hired. We had to win the Scottish title. We don’t have a choice.

“But the idea was also to get back on the European scene.

“So, the project appealed to me. I also knew there were many obstacles.

“There’s been chronic instability for years between the fans and the board.

“So, when I arrived, there were a lot of games and a lot of players who were injured.

“But the idea was to go there and get things in place.

“Afterwards, unfortunately, it became a bit irrational.”

The former Hoops boss also argued that his side’s displays deserved far greater rewards, insisting the underlying numbers suggested Celtic should have collected significantly more victories.

He said: “In terms of performance, there were some really interesting things.

“We should have been winning matches.

“I’m not one to talk about ‘we should have done this, we should have done that’ or ‘if we had done this’ or anything like that.

“But the reality is that the performance indicators showed we should have won games by two or three goals.

“But no, we lost a few games. And then, a bit of fear set in regarding our results.

“And yet, we still won some games, but they decided we wouldn’t continue together, even though we were second, and we were only three points behind first place.”

Looking back on the experience, Nancy revealed the biggest lessons he took from his time at Celtic centred around patience and the unique intensity surrounding the club.

He said: “If I had to pick one or two things I learned at Celtic, I’d say time.

“Time is very important because, again, I needed a bit more time to put things in place.

“And then, passion.

“Passion, for me, is something I truly believe in.

“But being in a club, in an environment where there’s an extraordinary, sometimes even exaggerated, passion — you have to experience it once to understand.

“I loved it. I adored it.”

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