Despondent Celtic manager Wilfried Nancy . Motherwell v Celtic, Scottish Premiership. 30 December 2025 Photo by Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)
Q: When you look at this particular fixture, the derby, sometimes people just need one game to help spark something and change the sort of mood and build momentum. Is this the ideal game for you right now?
Wilfried Nancy: “If I can do it, yes. This is the idea, to win this game. After that, I know that if we win this game, the fans are going to be happy, everybody’s going to be happy because this is the way it is in football. So, now, again, like I said, we want to win every game. I know that this game tomorrow is important because of the rivalry, but it doesn’t change the desire to win. It doesn’t change the desire to compete, the desire to do well. So, now, yes, I know the context.”
Q: How difficult is it to shut out the outside noise?
Wilfried Nancy: “I cannot do anything against that. This is what they say. This is the context, the narrative that they want to use. So, again, me, I’m focused on preparing my team well, play the way we want to play, and to maximise our chance to win. After that, the noise, I cannot control the noise. Like I said, I would like that the noise be nice. When we won two games, the noise was better. So, now, we lost the last game, so the noise came back to normal, I would say. But, again, this is part of my job. This is part of my job. I’m not afraid of that. I am afraid of, not afraid, but I just want my team to play with personality, to do what they can do, and after that, we’ll see.”
Wilfried Nancy. Motherwell v Celtic, Scottish Premiership. 30 December 2025 Photo by Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)
Q: Do you agree with the narrative that if you were to lose this game, your position might be difficult?
Wilfried Nancy: “I’m not here to… For me, I don’t have to answer this question, because perspective is everything. This is a perception of people. They can be right, they can be wrong. I don’t mind, but perspective is everything.”
Q: Have you had conversations with the guys on the board? Do you still feel as though you’ve got the complete backing of everyone at the club?
Wilfried Nancy: “Yes.”
Q: Have you had conversations with them this week?
Wilfried Nancy: “I know that the board is with me, and the club is with me, and the players are with me, and so on.”
Q: Do you feel as though the board is going to support you to bring the players you need to make this team the way you envision it?
Wilfried Nancy: “Yes, step by step, because you can imagine, and again, I know that you do your job. I know that your job is to attack me or to ask me a lot of questions. No problem with that. This is your job. My job is to be coach. Your job is to ask questions and to go in with me. But again, this is only the beginning.
