WILFRED NANCY SACKED AS CELTIC MANAGER AFTER OLD FARM DEFEAT

Celtic announced Nancy's departure after only eight games in charge on Monday afternoon.

Wilfried Nancy has been sacked as Celtic manager following a 3-1 defeat to Rangers.

Nancy was appointed as Brendan Rodgers’ permanent successor from MLS side Columbus Crew on December 3, after the 52-year-old tendered his resignation in October.

The Frenchman took over after club legend Martin O’Neill had won seven out of eight matches as interim manager.

However, following a 3-1 defeat by Old Firm rivals Rangers at Celtic Park on Saturday, Celtic announced Nancy had been removed from his role on Monday after only eight games in charge.

In the statement, the club also confirmed that Paul Tisdale has left his role as head of football operations.

Paul Tisdale has also left his role as Head of Football Operations at Celtic.

The defending Premiership champions announced the exits in a statement on the club’s website, where they said: “Celtic Football Club today announces that it has decided to terminate the contract of manager Wilfried Nancy, with immediate effect.

“The Club thanks Wilfried for his efforts and wishes him and his family well for the future.

“Wilfried’s assistants, Kwame Ampadu, Jules Gueguen, and Maxime Chalier, will also be leaving the club and they take with them our good wishes.

“The Club can also confirm that Paul Tisdale has left his position as head of football operations. We thank Paul for the contribution he has made in that role.

“A further update will be provided to supporters as soon as is practical.”

Celtic fans protested outside Parkhead following Saturday’s defeat to Rangers.

Nancy became the first Celtic manager to lose his first two games in charge, losing 2-1 to league leaders Hearts before a comprehensive defeat to Roma at Celtic Park in the Europa League.

He lost out on a chance to win some early silverware after suffering a 3-1 defeat by St Mirren in the Premier Sports Cup final.

A 2-1 defeat at Dundee United handed him the unwanted title of the worst start by any Celtic manager in history.

Nancy got his first win with a 3-1 home victory over ten-man Aberdeen, with two goals coming in the final minutes, and followed that with a 4-2 win at Livingston in a game where the hosts were two goals ahead in the first ten minutes.

The upturn in form wasn’t to last, as Celtic crashed to a 2-0 defeat at Motherwell where the champions were completely outplayed.

On Saturday, Rangers bounced back from a goal down to defeat Celtic 3-1 at Parkhead to inflict Nancy’s final defeat as Celtic manager, with his departure announced only two days later.

- Calum Loudon

CELTIC OWNER LAUNCHES BLISTERING ATTACK ON BRENDAN RODGERS IN EXTRAORDINARY STATEMENT

Dermot Desmond has launched a scathing attack on Brendan Rodgers following his resignation.

Dermot Desmond has launched a blistering attack on Brendan Rodgers (Image: GETTY)

Celtic majority shareholder Dermot Desmond has unleashed a blistering attack on Brendan Rodgers, slamming the departing boss for betraying his trust. Rodgers dramatically walked away from the Parkhead outfit on Monday following a disastrous start to the campaign. Martin O'Neill has returned to Parkhead in a caretaker capacity alongside Shaun Maloney.

Rodgers had consistently targeted the board regarding the club's summer dealings, with furious supporters intensifying pressure on the hierarchy and calling for their heads. Fans have been clamouring for explanations from majority shareholder Desmond, chief executive Michael Nicholson and chairman Peter Lawwell. Desmond has now spoken out by accusing Rodgers of 'misleading' supporters whilst labelling him 'toxic'.

The explosive statement declared: "When we brought Brendan back to Celtic two years ago, it was done with complete trust and belief in his ability to lead the club into a new era of sustained success.

"Unfortunately, his conduct and communication in recent months have not reflected that trust.

"In June, both Michael Nicholson and I expressed to Brendan that we were keen to offer him a contract extension, to reaffirm the club's full backing and long-term commitment to him.

"He said he would need to think about it and revert. Yet in subsequent press conferences, Brendan implied that the club had made no commitment to offer him a contract. That was simply untrue.

"We met with Brendan regularly, including in December last year and at the start of the summer, with regular dialogue in between, to discuss and agree our collective strategy, priorities, and approach.

"Every player signed and every player sold during his tenure was done so with Brendan's full knowledge, approval, and endorsement. Any insinuation otherwise is absolutely false.

"His later public statements about transfers and club operations came entirely out of the blue.

"At no point prior to those remarks had he raised any such concerns with me, Michael, or any member of the board or executive team.

"In reality, he was given final say over all football matters and was consistently backed in the recruitment process - including record investment in players he personally identified and approved.

"When his comments were made publicly, I sought to address them directly. Brendan and I met for over three hours at his home in Scotland to discuss the issue.

"Despite ample opportunity, he was unable to identify a single instance where the club had obstructed or failed to support him. The facts did not match his public narrative.

"Regrettably, his words and actions since then have been divisive, misleading, and self-serving. They have contributed to a toxic atmosphere around the club and fuelled hostility towards members of the executive team and the Board.

"Some of the abuse directed at them, and at their families, has been entirely unwarranted and unacceptable.

"Every member of the Board and executive team is deeply passionate about Celtic and acts at all times with professionalism, integrity, and a shared desire for success.

"What has failed recently was not due to our structure or model, but to one individual's desire for self-preservation at the expense of others.

"Celtic's structure - where the manager oversees football, the Chief Executive manages operations, and the Board provides oversight - has served the club with great success for more than two decades.

"We all share the same ambition: to ensure Celtic's continued success domestically and to achieve further progress in Europe.

"Every pound generated by the club is reinvested towards those goals and the continuous improvement of Celtic Football Club.

"Celtic is greater than any one person. Our focus now is on restoring harmony, strengthening the squad, and continuing to build a club worthy of its values, traditions, and supporters."

+ Ryan McDonald & Archie Griggs

LIVERPOOL CONSIDER SLOT AS KLOPP'S REPLACEMENT

 Liverpool have identified Feyenoord coach Arne Slot as a leading candidate to succeed Jurgen Klopp as manager after cooling their interest in Sporting CP coach Ruben Amorim, sources have told ESPN.

With top target Xabi Alonso last month ruling himself out of the running for a return to the club he represented as a player by choosing to stay with newly crowned Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen, Slot has emerged ahead of Amorim and Brighton's Roberto De Zerbi in the race to replace Klopp.

However, sources have said that Liverpool expect a battle with Barcelona and Bayern Munich to appoint Slot and are therefore planning to continue to assess other candidates.

Klopp, who has won the Champions League and Premier League with Liverpool since replacing Brendan Rodgers at Anfield in October 2015, announced in January that he will step down from his position at the end of this season.

Following Klopp's surprise announcement -- the 56-year-old informed Liverpool's owners, Fenway Sports Group (FSG) of his decision last November -- Liverpool CEO Billy Hogan said that the club would take a "data-led" approach to finding a new manager.

Former sporting director Michael Edwards returned to Anfield last month as head of football operations with the responsibility of identifying and hiring Klopp's successor, and sources have told ESPN that Slot, who guided Feyenoord to the Dutch title last season, has become a strong contender to land the Liverpool job.

Slot, 45, rejected Premier League advances from both Chelsea and Tottenham last season in order to remain at Feyenoord. He signed a new three-year contract with the Rotterdam-based team in May 2023, thereby committing himself to the club until 2026.

Sources have told ESPN that the Liverpool hierarchy, led by Edwards and Hogan, believes that Slot fits all of its criteria in terms of style of play, personality and ability to work within the club's structure.

There is an acceptance within Anfield that Feyenoord will attempt to hold onto Slot, but there is also a hope that the lure of the Premier League could prompt the former AZ Alkmaar coach to take the opportunity to move to England.

Liverpool are second in the Premier League, level on points with leaders Arsenal, and face a derby clash against Merseyside rivals Everton at Goodison Park on Wednesday.

- Mark Ogden, Senior Writer, ESPN FC

MANAGERS WHO HAVE BEATEN EVERY CLUB THEY'VE FACED

 

LIVERPOOL VS. LEICESTER | POST MATCH ANALYSIS | JURGEN KLOPP & BRENDAN RODGERS

 

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: MANCHESTER CITY STOPED BY CELTIC

Celtic earn their first Group C point as they stop Manchester City's perfect run...Celtic and City squared off in a thriller that ended 3-3 in Glasgow...Moussa Dembele shook the net early in the 3rd minute and again in the 47th minute...Raheem Sterling was forced to provide an own goal by Kieran Tierney on the 20th minute...Fernandinho's strike leveled the game after Dembele's early goal and later Sterling picked himself up and made it up with a goal on the 28th minute mark...

Rodger's Celtic played very well and at times matching the quality of Pep Guardiola's style and quality of play...Manchester City are 2 points behind Group leaders Barcelona and the two will meet in Barcelona on 19th of October.

LIVERPOOL FC: LUIS ALBERTO GOING TO LAZIO FOR £6 MILLION

Liverpool has agreed to sell midfielder Luis Alberto to Lazio for £6 million...Lazio will pay £4.3 upfront then £1.7 as add-ons dependent on European qualification...Liverpool added a 30% sell-on clause as well...He came to Liverpool under Brendan Rodgers for about £6.8 million but never made an impact...He played only 12 games with the Merseyside team.

KOLO TOURE: CELTIC YAMCHUKUA KOLO TOURE ,UONGEZA UJUZI KWENYE TIMU

Kolo Toure anaingia Celtic akitokea Liverpool kujaribu kuongeza maarifa kutokana na uelewa wake wa muda mrefu pia Celtic inaitaji kuimarisha safu yake ya nyuma...Kocha Brendan Rodgers amesema leo Jumapili Kolo atatangazwa rasmi kuwa mchezaji wa Celtic...Bofya hapa upate habari zaidi

LIVERPOOL: BRENDAN RODGERS ATIULIWA

Kocha ambaye alijitahidi sana lakini baada ya kumuuza Suarez hakuweza kurudisha timu kwenye viwango vya juu ametimuliwa...Brendan Rodgers anategemewa kubadilishwa na Jurgen Klop aliyekuwa kocha wa Dortmund...Makocha wengine ambao walikuwa wanatolewa macho ni Carlo Ancelotti, Frank de Boer, Walter Materazzi na ejurgen Klinsman...Bofya hapa upate habari zaidi.

EPL: LUIS SUAREZ MAKES HISTORY AT ANFIELD

Uruguay international, Luis Suarez, has made history yesterday after being the first player in Premier League to get 3 Hat-Trick's scoring the same team. 

EPL: DANIEL STURRIDGE OUT 6 TO 8 DUE TO INJURY

Liverpool has faced a blow after Daniel Sturridge ruled out for 6 to 8 weeks after an ankle injury.