Wilfried Nancy remains optimistic about Celtic's direction despite a challenging start to his leadership. The team suffered consecutive defeats, including a 3-0 loss to Roma in the Europa League. An own goal by Liam Scales and two goals from Evan Ferguson, on loan from Brighton, marked the first half. This result followed a previous defeat against Hearts, making Nancy the first Celtic manager to lose his initial two matches.
Celtic's recent performance against Roma was only the second time they trailed by three or more goals at halftime in a major European match at Celtic Park. The last occurrence was against Paris Saint-Germain in 2017, where they lost 5-0. Despite Kelechi Iheanacho having a goal disallowed and Arne Engels missing a penalty,
Celtic struggled against their Serie A opponents.
Nancy remains confident that his squad can overcome these setbacks. He stated, "The reality is we were not able to cope with the intensity. First half was difficult, we were not able to come out of the pressure," as reported by TNT Sports.
The manager acknowledged the challenges faced by his players but highlighted their efforts in trying to turn things around. "It wasn't easy for my players. I don't like to talk about luck. The first goal didn't help us. The second half was better," he said.
Nancy appreciated the team's resilience and noted their potential for improvement. "I cannot tell you [the players] didn't try, they tried. I'm not concerned, I really liked the reaction," he added.
Looking Ahead
Despite the disappointing results, Nancy sees promise in his team's performance and believes they deserve more recognition for their efforts. "They deserve at least to score one goal and the dynamic could change," he remarked.
Post match reaction from the manager#CelticASRoma |#UEL |#CelticFCCeltic Football Club (@CelticFC)December 11, 2025
The upcoming Scottish League Cup final against St. Mirren at Hampden Park presents another opportunity for Nancy's team to prove themselves. In Europa League standings, Celtic currently holds the final play-off spot with seven points from six games.
Nancy expressed his commitment to improving results while acknowledging fans' importance: "I respect the fans, they are really important for us. We play for them. " He remains hopeful about future prospects: "I know where we are going. I can see a lot of good things. "
