‘Mad scientist’ and ‘next Luis Enrique’ – who is Celtic manager Nancy?

After a drawn-out courtship, Wilfried Nancy was chosen as Brendan Rodgers’ permanent replacement after 37 days since his departure from Celtic Park.

Chief executive of the Scottish Premiership side, Michael Nicholson, stated that they had been “aware” of the Frenchman and the “quality of his work for some time.”

Indeed, he asserted that Nancy had been the front-runner from the beginning.

How did the largely unknown 48-year-old get the Parkhead board’s attention then?

Apart from Nancy’s football style, the speed of his rise to prominence is one of the first things to impress onlookers.

He succeeded Thierry Henry at CF Montreal in 2021 as his friend and former boss. Not bad for a man who previously taught under-14 girls.

Gomez explains that Nancy is no stranger to a steep learning curve.

The American called it “very brave and nuanced,” adding that “he has an idea of how he wants to play.” It’s “very New Age, modern football,” if you will, but in a crazy, mad scientist way.

He has been doing that since day one, and it has worked out well. He began his first professional career as a manager in 2021, and he’s since racked up a few titles, hence the phrase “meteoric rise.” Canadian Championship, MLS Leagues Cup, and MLS Cup.

Nancy is already a bit of a trailblazer, having been raised in Le Havre in 1977 by a Guadeloupean father and a West African mother.

Gomez remarked, “He won the first black head coach to win a title in the history of Major League Soccer.”

The best way to describe him is that he plays football bravely because they’ve never had a black coach lift the MLS Cup, and he did it with a certain brand.

Celtic will be drawn to three things.

Nancy has a proven success, his teams play quick, attacking football, and he has a very loose association with the club because his assistant at Columbus Crew, Kwame Ampadu, worked with Paul Tisdale, Celtic’s director of football operations, before.

Over the years, Gomez said, “He’s had a few suitors chasing him in France and the English game pyramid.”

“Celtic is a massive brand,” the statement read. He has had the wallet he would have at Celtic no where, not in Montreal or Columbus.

Therefore, choosing carefully what you want may be advantageous to him, may suit his brand, but it’s a culture shock. He definitely wants to play in a shock.

I was a little surprised the first time I saw his team. The goalkeeper must be good with his feet and play high off his line. The centre-backs must be excellent ballhanders, and they frequently find themselves in advanced positions.

The wing-backs are “a lot like the Xabi Alonso Leverkusen years,” he said, “with their prime positions as attackers, goal scorers, and facilitators.”

Gomez isn’t afraid to compare Nancy to another great in the current European coaching fraternity, Champions League-winning Paris St-Germain head coach Luis Enrique, after dropping in the name of Real Madrid coach Alonso, whose superb Bayer Leverkusen side became the first team to win the Bundesliga undefeated.

He continued, “Everyone is looking for the next big thing.” Luis Enrique’s PSG is what I would call “if I could get anywhere close to his brand.”

Enrique’s philosophy is based on how space, time, and movement are interpreted. There are no fixed positions. Relacionismo, as they are known in Spanish. It’s how you relate to a particular field’s sector and how you can advance and effectively defeat your opponent. That’s Nancy Wilfried.

“And there’s a reason why he’s getting attention.” Because of how eye-catching his brand is. It has a catchy name.

Every so often, it can turn into a Catch-22 because you’re playing against the wall. He’s been on the right side of that sword, despite the fact that it’s a double-sided sword.

“I think there are many characteristics that could help him succeed on a bigger stage, in more money, and in more attention,” he said. He won the title of MLS coach of the year last year, but he didn’t need it to be regarded as one of the best. He enjoys a lot of respect.

According to Gomez, Nancy is comfortable with assuming quick success, which would be good news for the Celtic board and supporters.

In other words, Nancy avoids interfering with cultural change.

Gomez said, “He makes things work relatively quickly.” That ought to be taken into account. Sometimes a coach needs a while to develop an identity or style.

“He’s hit the ground running in two different places, whether it’s a team with lower resources in Montreal or the Columbus Crew, a team that has been known to let loose of the purse strings and induct some top talent.”

It’s important to note that when you get Wilfried Nancy, you get someone who can make things happen fairly quickly because he’s done well in various settings.

Strap yourself in, Gomez says in a straightforward way for the Celtic diaspora.

You’ll get a coach with a sense of self and a playing style that makes fans proud, he continued.

You’re getting a coach who understands what he’s doing, a coach who wants to express himself on the field, and a winner, they say.