ABOUTTheir managers won more in Major League Soccer than Wilfrid Nance. Bruce Arena, let's say, definitely has a more complete trophy cabinet. However, Nancy won more than just trophies. He raised the standards. With the Columbus Crew, he set a benchmark for others to follow, showing what could be achieved even with limited resources. Columbus there was no Lionel Messi or Son Heung-min, but they had Nancy as their head coach, and that was often enough.
Over the past three seasons, the Crew have been the most dynamic and innovative team in the world. MLS. Nancy's Montreal team also performed well, establishing a style of play that would become known as “Nancyball.” He changed the MLS management landscape forever. It was only a matter of time before a call from Europe came.
After several weeks of waiting due to the protracted work permit process, Nancy will take over responsibility for his first game as Celtic manager on Sunday. Some Crew fans will probably watch. Others may want to ignore the loss of their manager. MLS will be worse off with Nancy's departure, but the 48-year-old's departure could further cement his legacy.
While MLS has become a reliable talent pool for European clubs to source players from, few managers have made the same leap. Patrick Vieira did it by joining Nice from New York City, but he Patrick Vieira. His status as a legend of the game could get him a job in Europe's Big Five leagues, regardless of what he did in MLS.
In contrast, the name Nancy meant little throughout his career. He never played at a high level. When Celtic were initially linked, headlines in Scotland focused on his work as Thierry Henry's assistant to provide context. Even when he was hired in Montreal, most fans had not heard of him. Instead, Nance has stood out over time for his abilities as a coach and leader, and other MLS coaches may stand out as well now that European clubs are taking a closer look at him.
Steve Cherundolo will not return as Los Angeles' head coach in 2026. Although the former US defender views the game very differently from Nancy, his success in MLS could make him an attractive candidate for the European job. Cherundolo spent his professional career as a Bundesliga player. Could a German club call?
Under Mikey Varas, San Diego exceeded expectations in its expansion season. A former assistant to Gregg Berhalter in the United States, he coached a team from the ground up that played a modern, high-energy style of football that undoubtedly caught the attention of European observers. Could Nance's appointment to Celtic set a precedent for Varas?
Could Nancy be to MLS coaching staff what Miguel Almiron is to league players? While European clubs now regularly buy tickets from the league, it took the Paraguayan's record move to Newcastle from Atlanta United in 2019 to turn MLS into a springboard league – a statement of MLS's growing quality.
The fact that Celtic have recruited Nance is not unusual for the club, which has recruited Ange Postecoglou from the J-League and Ronny Deila from the Norwegian Elite Series. They have looked to new markets for managers before and there is enough overlap between Angeball and Nancyball to make Celtic Park the ideal landing spot for the Frenchman.
Scottish clubs are increasingly looking for new markets for players and managers because they have no choice. They can't compete with their financially inflated rivals from south of the border. Although Nancy will coach in the Europa League and possibly the Champions League in the coming seasons, the domestic level in Scotland is generally lower than in MLS. According to Opta, only Celtic, Rangers, Hearts and Hibernian will be able to break into the 30 teams that make up the league from which Nancy came.
The reality, however, is that Scottish football is a step or two closer to the Premier League and the other 'Big Five' leagues in Europe than MLS. After Stecoglou's success at Celtic, he moved to Tottenham. Steven Gerrard was hired by Aston Villa after winning the title with Rangers. There is an established path that doesn't exist for MLS coaches.
MLS will miss Nancy. Not only do his teams play brilliant football, but he is a strong personality and one of the league's most outspoken figureheads. When Nancy speaks, people listen. When he says quotes like his famous “impossible is an opinion” line after leading the Columbus Crew to the 2023 MLS Cup, people make viral raps out of them.
Nancy will face many strong opinions in Scotland. Many Celtic fans are skeptical. At a time when the club's board faces protests over a lack of ambition and spending, Nancy is seen by some as a cheap option. And it's true that he doesn't have the CV or reputation of Brendan Rodgers or Martin O'Neill. who held the fortress on a temporary basis over the past few weeks.
The same was said when Nancy replaced Henry as Montreal's head coach as an unknown and unnamed former academy coach. However, it didn't take him long to establish himself as MLS's boldest and most progressive manager. European clubs may act faster if a player like him appears again.
