Celtic sack manager Nancy after eight games

Celtic have parted company with manager Wilfried Nancy, with Saturday's 3-1 defeat by Rangers his sixth loss in just eight matches and his 33-day reign the shortest in the club's history.

The 48-year-old signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with the Scottish champions after the conclusion of the Major League Soccer season with Columbus Crew and took charge on 4 December.

But, having won seven of their eight games under interim manager Martin O'Neill, Celtic's form slumped dramatically under Nancy.

The Frenchman became the first Celtic manager to lose his first two games before suffering a 3-1 defeat by St Mirren in the Premier Sports Cup final and a 2-1 reverse at Dundee United.

It was the first time Celtic had lost four games in a row since a similar run under the legendary Jock Stein in 1978.

They won back-to-back league matches against Aberdeen and Livingston to stop the rot, but were beaten 2-0 at Motherwell on Tuesday and collapsed in a dismal second-half at home to Rangers.

Celtic have also removed Paul Tisdale from his position as head of football operations.

The former Exeter City and Stevenage manager had been in the role since October 2024.

A brief club statement confirms the exits, along with Nancy's coaches Kwame Ampadu, Jules Gueguen and Maxime Chalier, adding that a "further update will be provided to supporters as soon as is practical".

Celtic, champions in 13 of the past 14 seasons, sit second in the Scottish Premiership, six points behind Hearts and ahead of Rangers on goals scored.

Their points total of 38 from 20 games is 15 down from the same stage of the previous campaign.

Under Nancy, Celtic shipped 18 goals, one more than they had conceded during the opening 24 games of the season.

"He was One-Way Will, 3-4-3, I'm not going to change," former Celtic striker Chris Sutton told 5 Live Sport's Monday Night Club.

"He needed to adapt. Celtic have played with a back four as long as I can remember and he came in halfway through the season, with a squad which, in truth, is pretty incapable, and trashed the team.

"While some of the football was good on the eye, Celtic were far too patchy. It was kamikaze stuff."

O'Neill, who managed the club from 2000-05, had been placed in temporary charge after Brendan Rodgers, who was appointed manager of Saudi Pro League side Al-Qadsiah last month, resigned in October.

Having previously managed rivals Montreal, Nancy led Columbus to the MLS Cup in 2023 and then the Leagues Cup - a competition between Mexican and American sides, as they finished second in the league.

However, after being named MLS manager of the year for 2024, his side slipped to seventh in Eastern Conference and 12th overall last year.

As he leaves Celtic, Nancy has enjoyed just five wins in his latest 20 games as a coach.

Serving from June 1999 to February 2000, John Barnes had previously been Celtic's shortest serving permanent manager, overseeing 29 matches in his eight months.