Wilfried Nancy leads five-man Celtic exodus as club make jaw-dropping changes after appointment gone wrong
The Frenchman has been relieved of his duties along with recruitment chief Paul Tisdale as part of a major January shake-up at Parkhead
Celtic have sacked head coach Wilfried Nancy after just eight games and 33 days in charge following Saturday’s 3-1 Old Firm defeat by Rangers.
Head of Football Operations Paul Tisdale has also left his role, with the former Columbus Crew boss winning just two matches following his appointment in early December.
A club statement read: “Celtic Football Club today announces that it has decided to terminate the contract of manager Wilfried Nancy, with immediate effect.
Why have Celtic sacked Wilfried Nancy?
“The Club thanks Wilfried for his efforts and wishes him and his family well for the future. Wilfried's assistants, Kwame Ampadu, Jules Gueguen, and Maxime Chalier, will also be leaving the club and they take with them our good wishes.
“The Club can also confirm that Paul Tisdale has left his position as Head of Football Operations. We thank Paul for the contribution he has made in that role. A further update will be provided to supporters as soon as is practical.”
The 48-year-old Frenchman signed two-and-a-half year contract with the Scottish champions after the conclusion of the MLS season and took over the reigns from interim boss Martin O’Neill on December 4th.
However, Nancy failed to recover from a horrific start, losing six of his eight matches at the helm which saw him become the worst manager in the club’s history.
What Wilfried Nancy said after Rangers defeat
Nancy insisted he was still ‘together with the board’ and believed ‘we can turn things around’ despite falling heavy derby defeat to Rangers at the weekend.
“It was disappointing because we deserved more today, but again we needed more goals. In the second half, we conceded three goals from throw-ins. It's difficult to accept, but it's reality. This is not about the players or the tactics, this is about moments.
“This is not about myself, this is about disappointing the fans because I know the meaning of this game. I can understand the disappointment, but I also saw what we're able to do.
“We are really close, there are many things that can turn around. If it was not the case, I would not talk like this. I really believe we can turn things around. We are together with the board.”
What Luke McCowan said after Old Firm loss
Celtic midfielder Luke McCowan was asked if the squad still retained belief in Nancy to turn their situation around in the wake of their Old Firm defeat.
He stated: “There has to be, he's the manager. I don't know what else to say on it, but he is the manager, so what do we do? We just need to be together, collectively get better, and get messages all together, and know what we did wrong in the second half and go from there.
“If you asked me when Martin [O’Neill] was here, did we believe in the manager, I would have said, ‘aye, we have to because he's the manager’. It's the only thing I can say. I understand what you're saying about believing and all that, but football's football.
“He's the manager, we need to do what he's implementing in the game. In the first half, we did. Second half, they changed it, we didn't. That's just as simple as that. As I said as well, football's moments.”