Thierry Henry Backs Wilfried Nancy Amid Celtic Struggles
Thierry Henry has expressed his support for former assistant Wilfried Nancy, urging Celtic to give him more time to establish himself as the club's manager. Henry believes the team should allow Nancy to develop his approach before making any judgments at the end of the season.
Nancy, who previously worked as an assistant coach to Henry at CF Montreal, took over the managerial position at Celtic in 2021 after Henry's departure. However, his tenure has started off on a challenging note, with four consecutive losses in his first 15 days in Glasgow.
The pressure on Nancy has intensified, particularly after a recent 2-1 defeat to Dundee United, leading some Celtic fans to call for his dismissal.
After receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2025, Henry voiced his full support for Nancy. "I see people calling for him to leave the place," Henry remarked during an interview with BBC Radio 5 Live. "As a coach myself, I think it’s too early to say that. Let him work and let him cook, and judge him maybe at the end of the season."
Nancy's first managerial role in Europe, following his time with Major League Soccer's Columbus Crew, has been marked by defeats against title rivals Hearts and Roma in the Europa League, alongside a 3-1 loss to St Mirren in the Scottish League Cup final.
The recent loss at Tannadice has left Celtic six points behind Premiership leaders Hearts, although they have a game in hand. "It’s tough to come in and impose your philosophy and identity at a club that may have been playing differently," Henry commented. "Right now it’s too early, and I believe he can turn it around. He is a great guy with a great mind. It’s not working at the moment, and it obviously doesn’t look great, but he’s a friend of mine, so I admit I might be biased. You don’t want any coach to lose their job this early; it doesn’t make sense to me."
Nancy, who led Columbus Crew to the MLS Cup in 2023 and the Leagues Cup the following year, was named MLS Coach of the Year in 2024. He will seek his first points as Celtic manager when his team hosts Aberdeen in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday at 15:00 GMT.