Arne Engels listens to Celtic manager Wilfried Nancy. Premier Sports Cup Final. St Mirren v Celtic. 14 December 2025. Photo AJ (The Celtic Star)
Q: We’re saying this because of the experience that we have of being in Glasgow, being in Scotland, and the reaction to Celtic not winning.
Wilfried Nancy: “Yes, understand me well. I understand that perfectly. I understand that perfectly. And people have the right to be not happy. So, I understand that. In all my clubs that I went, connection with the fans was spot on. Now, I came in the middle of the season. They were winning, we lose. So, I need time. I understand the context. I understand that Celtic is Celtic. I understand that the culture here, it could be different and so on. I understand everything.
“But I don’t like to promise things. I could have been the guy saying that I’m going to promise that we’re going to get results. Come on. Come on. What I’m going to promise you is that I’m going to do everything to get back on track and to be consistent. Not get back on track because we’ve been on track because the season is like that.
“I realise where I am because if I’m not mistaken, we are only second. And we control, we are able to control many things because the season is long. But because we lost a few games, this is like we are last. So, I understand the context. And I want to please my players, to please the club, to please the fans because this is why I do this job. But for the moment, yes, I understand the narrative, I’m not saying I accept it.”
Callum McGregor with Wilfried Nancy. Premier Sports Cup Final. St Mirren v Celtic. Hampden Park, Sunday 14 December 2025. Photo AJ (The Celtic Star)
Q: What do you think? Some of the criticism is unfair then?
Wilfried Nancy: “I’m not here to talk about being unfair or fair. People can say, you are different from the guy next to you. You are different from the guy next to you. Maybe you’re going to say something different. You don’t have the same perspective. I don’t know. I’m not here to judge or to say anything about that. It’s a fact.”
Q: How much time should fans expect to wait then? Second isn’t good enough at this club?
Wilfried Nancy: “I didn’t say that second was good. I didn’t say that. Understand me well. I know that I am a French guy, but I never said that. I just gave the context where we are now. You told me about time. I’m not saying, I’m not trying to buy time. I cannot buy time in my job. The only moment to buy time is when we win games. I know that. I have to win games. And we have to win games to buy time. This is the job. So that’s why I don’t have an answer for you. What I know is, every day we train. Every day you try to be better. Every time you try to improve. This is something that I can quantify. But after that, the time is subjective. The time is to win games. So that’s why I cannot answer your question.”
Wilfried Nancy, Manager of Celtic, looks on during a Celtic FC Training Session at Lennoxtown Training Centre on December 10, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
Q: What do you expect from (the)Rangers?
Wilfried Nancy: “Again, a rivalry game. The coach is going to have, the manager is going to have the same description as myself with their players. It’s going to be a big game. I know that at this moment, we don’t have the result that we want. So they are going to try to maximise that. But us, we are ready to accept this challenge. We are ready to face this team because we know that we play at Celtic Park. We know that we want to do well. And we are going to do well.”
Q: Any injury news?
Wilfried Nancy: “No.”
Remarkable stuff from the Celtic Manager. Have a listen below…
