Wilfried Nancy leaves Celtic is the headline on the official Celtic FC website this afternoon as the club finally see sense and remove the Frenchman from his responsibilities as Celtic manager following a short but highly damaging time in charge.
Celtic manager Wilfried Nancy reacts during the Scottish Premiership match between Celtic and theRangers at Celtic Park on January 03, 2026. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
Nancy was Michael Nicholson’s first choice as permanent replacement after Brendan Rodgers was forced out at the end of October for repeatedly warning that the current squad was in need of strengthening.
Martin O’Neill and Shaun Maloney at Easter Road. Sunday 30 November 2025. Hibs v Celtic, Scottish Premiership. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)
Martin O’Neill, assisted by Shaun Maloney stepped in and studied the ship winning all domestic matches during their interim spell in charge and throwing in a brilliant away win in the Europa League in Rotterdam against Feyenoord. They also won the Premier Sports Cup semi-final against theRangers but weren’t allowed to see out the job of actually winning the cup as the Celtic Board decided to throw Nancy in ahead of a top of the league clash with Hearts, a Europa League encounter at Celtic Park against Roma and the Cup Final against St Mirren. Nancy would lose all three.
Manager Celtic Wilfried Nancy of Celtic looks on after Celtic’s loss in the Premier League match between Motherwell and Celtic at Fir Park on December 30, 2025 in Motherwell, Scotland. (Photo by WM Sport Media/Getty Images)
He also lost to Dundee United, Motherwell and theRangers but did manage two wins – against Aberdeen at home and Livingston away.
Nancy’s brand of football didn’t suit the fit players at the club and perhaps would have worked better had the likes of Cameron Carter-Vickers and Alistair Johnston been available. However there will be little sympathy for Nancy as he remained uncompromising in his approach and had clearly lost the fanbase and also the dressing room.
The Celtic captain Callum McGregor didn’t say anything – he didn’t have to. The distain was there on his face from pretty much the word go. He will however have communicated the view from the dressing room to those upstairs and it would have been, rightly so, a damning assessment.
Nancy leaves Celtic will a record that is unlikely to be beaten as the most unsuccessful manager in our unbroken history. This was an utter shambles of an appointment from the Incompetents currently running our club.
Celtic Manager Wilfried Nancy and Auston Trusty of Celtic during the Scottish Premiership match between Livingston and Celtic at Set Fare Arena on December 27, 2025 in Livingston. (Photo by WM Sport Media/Getty Images)
The holding Celtic statement confirming the removal of Wilfred Nancy as Celtic manager reads as follows and the London Stock Exchange was also notified.
Celtic Football Club today announces that it has decided to terminate the contract of manager Wilfried Nancy, with immediate effect.
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.
Chris McKay and Paul Tisdale, Motherwell v Celtic, Scottish Premiership. 30 December 2025 Photo by Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)
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.
There is however no update on Michael Nicholson and Chris McKay leaving the club.
03.01.2026 Celtic v theRangers, Scottish Premiership. Brian Wilson, Michael Nicholson and Chris McKay. Photo Kenny Ramsay IMAGO / News Licensing
The Celtic support was edging towards a boycott of the match against Dundee United at Celtic Park this weekend. The Celtic Fans Collective will be meeting to discuss next steps. For now though the removal of Nancy, Tisdale, Ampadu, Gueguen, and Chalier is most welcome news but it should only be the beginning.
Celtic supporters will have a role to play in reshaping the club for the future. It’s our money and it’s our Celtic. No say, no more money.
🚨 BREAKING Celtic have sacked Wilfried Nancy.
Paul Tisdale has also left the club. pic.twitter.com/HmZBFSRSzE
— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) January 5, 2026
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Good article David, especially the final sentence. Silent Mike cannot survive this.
Personally, I won’t be supporting any more boycotts (tho I can understand the reasoning for those who do) the next few weeks are the most important in our clubs recent unbroken history and the last thing we need is a new (hopefully top level) manager coming in to the unrest that has surrounded the club.
The board have made a good decision today and if they follow it up by the return of the GB then let’s all move on and fully support our club to a, pishing ourselves laughing last, double win…….
HH
Well thankfully that’s over.
I would be pleasantly surprised if Nicholson takes any further credit, responsibility and appropriate downfall for this appalling cliff-fall of incompetence. It seems that the lining up of Tisdale to get the boot on the same day as Nancy is just to serve as a distraction from where the blame actually lies.
That aside, there is light at the end of this mad, brief, dark tunnel. We have games to play, and time yet to retrieve some success from what must surely be the harshest of lessons (hopefully) learned for a woefully under-prepared and exposed Board of Directors.
The next appointment is critical. It could yet save the season. The players have proven already that they have the game and the talent to win in the right system. With the right leadership. A striker – a proper one – and we’re kind of up and running.
NB – this forgives nobody at Board level for the disgraceful treatment of fans, the fan media, the team, and the Club as a whole. It’s been a gross deriliction of Duty on each of them for what should be their #1 reason for getting out of bed each day. Shame on them. But now from the playing perspective we need to move forward and move fast. 🍀
The pay-offs won’t be cheap. Is there any estimate of how much we’ll pay for this gross incompetence? Make no mistake, the supporters are paying it.