Celtic manager Wilfried Nancy has been sacked after only eight games and one month at the helm, marking the briefest tenure of any permanent boss in the club’s history.
The humiliating 3-1 defeat to Rangers on Saturday was the final nail in the coffin for the beleaguered manager, who failed to impress during his disastrous stint, losing six out of his eight matches in charge. Paul Tisdale, Head of Football Operations and one of the key figures behind Nancy’s appointment, has also been given his marching orders.
The losses, combined with a reckless style of play, were too much for the board to bear, especially in the face of furious protests directed at them on Celtic Way following their defeat to their arch-rivals.
The 48-year-old suffered defeats to Hearts, Roma, and St Mirren in the Premier Sports Cup Final before a loss at Dundee United. Victories over Aberdeen and Livingston were mere glimmers of hope before Motherwell outplayed them and Danny Rohl’s team exploited their weak defence.
Nancy, who took over from Brendan Rodgers as permanent manager on December 3 after leaving Columbus Crew for the Scottish Premiership champions, has endured a nightmare tenure at Parkhead, reports the Daily Record.
The Frenchman immediately altered the formation from the successful style that interim manager Martin O’Neill had used to secure seven wins out of eight games, a move that backfired spectacularly.
Things began poorly and showed no signs of improvement. Nancy suffered defeat to the Jambos in his dugout debut at Parkhead, was comfortably beaten by Roma in the Europa League, and then squandered a trophy opportunity when they were outplayed by the Buddies.
All of this occurred during his opening week in charge, with Dundee United adding to the misery by securing victory at Tannadice, making it four consecutive defeats for Nancy and prompting supporters to chant “Nancy get to f***”.
The Frenchman managed consecutive victories against Aberdeen and Livingston to reduce the pressure momentarily, but Motherwell secured their first home league triumph over Celtic since 2013, ramping up the heat once more.
Nancy’s coaching staff – Kwame Ampadu, Jules Gueguen, and Maxime Chalier – have also been dismissed from their positions.
A club statement announced: “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.
“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.”