'When Nancy talks, people listen' - What Celtic are getting from MLS's boldest manager

Wilfried Nancy’s move to Celtic means as much for North American football as it does for him

HEAR ME NOW: Wilfried Nancy head coach of the Columbus Crew talks with Referee Filip Dujic during the Leagues Cup Phase One match between Columbus Crew and Club Puebla at Lower.com Field on August 01, 2025 in Columbus, Ohio. Pic: Jason Mowry - Leagues Cup/MLS via Getty Images)

Other managers won more in Major League Soccer than Wilfried Nancy. Bruce Arena, say, certainly has a fuller trophy cabinet. Nancy, however, lifted more than just trophies. He lifted standards. At Columbus Crew, he set a benchmark for the rest, showing what was possible even with limited resources. Columbus didn’t have Lionel Messi or Son Heung-min, but they had Nancy as head coach, and that was often enough.

For the past three seasons, the Crew have been the most dynamic, boundary-pushing team in MLS. Nancy’s CF Montreal team weren’t bad either, establishing the style of play that would come to be known as Nancyball. He changed MLS’s managerial landscape for ever. It was only a matter of time until a call came from Europe.