Wilfried Nancy already has next job lined up amid Celtic sack threat

Tom Weber

• 17 Dec 2025 10:00 CST
• 3 min read

Nieuws

Under-fire Celtic manager Wilfried Nancy would land on his feet should he lose his job, as he is the preferred coaching target for AS Saint-Etienne, according to French media.

The 48-year-old's first coaching stint in Europe has started off in the worst possible fashion. Nancy has lost his first three games in charge of Celtic, including Sunday's League Cup final against heavy underdogs St. Mirren.

The Frenchman's decision to implement a back-three system has not borne fruit so far, and he is already facing an uphill battle to get supporters back on his side.

Given his track record in Major League Soccer, Celtic's bosses are surely confident that Nancy will eventually come good, but the fact of the matter is that the Parkhead club need results immediately.

The Hoops are six points off Premiership leaders Hearts. Unsurprisingly, then, reports are already starting to suggest that Nancy could face the sack if results don't improve before the turn of the year.

Nancy in demand in France

Despite his poor start to life in Glasgow, Nancy still enjoys a solid reputation outside of Scotland for his success with Montreal and Columbus in MLS. Indeed, it looks as though the Frenchman would land on his feet if he were to get sacked by Celtic in the near future.

According to Foot-Sur7, Ligue 2 promotion-chasers AS Saint-Etienne are big admirers of Nancy and already attempted to appoint him before he took the Celtic job.

Saint-Etienne, who suffered relegation to the second tier last term, are owned by Canadian holding company Kilmer Sports Inc. Former Arsenal executive Ivan Gazidis is the club's president.

Despite last season's relegation, Kilmer are keen to show ambition with the storied French club. In the summer, the owners rejected several very lucrative offers for star striker Lucas Stassin.

Although Saint-Etienne currently sit second in Ligue 2, recent results have been mixed, which is why coach Eirik Horneland is at risk of the sack. Should Nancy become available within a reasonable timeframe, Saint-Etienne would look to bring him in to replace Horneland.

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