Wilfried Nancy ‘turns down’ a job in one of Europe’s top five leagues.

Wilfried Nancy has reportedly turned down an opportunity to return to management in France after receiving an approach from Ligue 1 club Le Havre. The former Celtic manager is said to have rejected the chance to take charge of his hometown side, despite the club’s difficult position near the bottom of the French top flight.

Nancy has been without a managerial job since his brief spell in Glasgow ended. His time at Celtic lasted only 33 days, making his appointment one of the shortest managerial periods in the club’s recent history. He arrived on December 3 last year, but was dismissed a little over a month later following a disappointing run of results.

The Frenchman took charge of eight matches during his time with the Hoops and suffered six defeats. The sequence included a painful Premier Sports Cup final loss to St Mirren at Hampden. That defeat intensified the pressure surrounding his position and left Celtic supporters questioning the direction in which the team was heading under the new manager.

Celtic captain Callum McGregor later suggested that Nancy had attempted to change too much too quickly. His comments raised questions about whether the squad had enough time to adapt to the manager’s methods. Nancy’s approach failed to produce the immediate improvement expected, and his spell ended after just over a month.

Wilfried Nancy has been out of work since his sacking from Celtic after just 33 daysSource: Kenny Ramsay

Nancy giving instructions to Celtic skipper McGregor with his tactics boardSource: Kenny Ramsay

Since leaving Celtic, Nancy has not returned to the dugout. However, a possible route back into management has reportedly emerged in France. Journalist Sacha Tavolieri reports that Le Havre approached the 49-year-old about taking charge, only for him to turn down the opportunity.

The offer would have represented a return to familiar surroundings for Nancy, as Le Havre is based in his hometown. Despite that personal connection, he is understood to have decided against accepting the role. The reported rejection means he will remain without a club while Le Havre continue searching for a way out of their difficult start to the campaign.

Le Havre are reportedly bottom of Ligue 1 and have yet to win a league match this season. Their opening ten league outings have produced only two points, leaving them six points adrift of safety.

His decision may surprise observers given that he has been out of work since his Celtic dismissal. The Ligue 1 opportunity could have allowed him to rebuild his reputation in familiar surroundings, but he reportedly declined.

Although the results during his time in Scotland were disappointing, Nancy has spoken warmly about his experience at Celtic. Rather than criticising the club or expressing resentment about the way his tenure ended, he described the period as a beautiful experience. His comments showed that he still values the passion he encountered in Glasgow.

Nancy explained that passion is central to his work as a coach. He said that he loves his profession because of that feeling and wants to work with players who approach football with the same commitment. In his view, passion was something he could clearly sense throughout Celtic, from the club itself to its supporters and the wider city. He said he looks for players who play with passion, because that same feeling is what makes him love his profession every day.

He also made clear that he enjoyed his time in Glasgow, even though his spell was much shorter than he would have wanted. The manager acknowledged that he did not have enough time to introduce his coaching style and establish the methods he wanted the team to follow. His comments suggest that he believes the limited time available prevented him from fully implementing his ideas.

However, Nancy accepted that this was how events had unfolded. He insisted that he had no bad words about what happened at Celtic and described the experience as part of his personal and professional journey. That response contrasts with the difficult results that ultimately led to his departure, and indicates that he does not intend to allow the experience to define his entire managerial career.

His time at Celtic did not go according to plan, with six defeats in eight matches and the cup final loss to St Mirren contributing to his dismissal. McGregor’s comments about the speed of the changes also highlighted the challenge Nancy faced in trying to introduce a different approach during a short period.

For now, the reported rejection of Le Havre leaves Nancy waiting for another opportunity. The Frenchman has not explained publicly why he turned down the approach, so the reasons behind his decision remain unclear. Le Havre must continue their search for a manager capable of improving their results, while Nancy considers what comes next in his career. Despite the disappointment in Glasgow, his positive comments about Celtic suggest he remains grateful for the experience and believes it will form one part of his wider journey in football.