Shay Given Apologizes for Insensitive Comment on Celtic Manager's Tenure
Former Premier League goalkeeper Shay Given has issued an unreserved apology for referring to Wilfried Nancy's brief tenure as Celtic manager as an "absolute Holocaust" during a live broadcast of the BBC show Final Score.
Given, 49, was asked for his opinion on Nancy's dismissal just 33 days into his role and after only eight games in charge of the Scottish champions. He described the period as "terrible from start to finish," before using highly insensitive language to characterize Nancy's first week in the position.
In a post on X, Given acknowledged that he used a term he "didn't fully understand the meaning of, and certainly won't ever use again." He expressed his desire to learn from this experience, stating, "We all have areas of ignorance in our knowledge, and I hope to use this as an opportunity to become better educated going forward."
Given further stated, "I am genuinely mortified and apologize unreservedly to everyone offended, and will be donating my fee from today's show to the Holocaust Educational Trust."
During the broadcast, Final Score presenter Jason Mohammad also apologized for the "inappropriate language" used.
Nancy, a Frenchman, was relieved of his duties last week following Celtic's 3-1 defeat to Rangers, marking his sixth loss out of eight matches. His 33-day stint as manager is now the shortest in the club's history.
The Holocaust, perpetrated by Nazi Germany during World War II, resulted in the deaths of an estimated six million Jews.