Celtic FC has reappointed Martin O'Neill as manager until the end of the season, following the dismissal of Wilfried Nancy after just 33 days in charge. The move comes amid a slump that has left the club six points behind league leaders Hearts. O'Neill, who previously guided Celtic back into title contention as interim boss, returns with a new coaching staff.
Celtic FC acted swiftly on January 5, 2026, sacking manager Wilfried Nancy hours after a 3-1 home defeat to rivals Rangers in the Old Firm derby. Nancy's brief tenure, lasting 33 days and encompassing eight games, yielded only two wins, including setbacks against Hearts, Roma in the Europa League, St. Mirren in the Scottish League Cup final, Dundee United, Motherwell, and the Rangers loss where Celtic squandered a 1-0 lead. This poor run erased the momentum from O'Neill's earlier interim stint, where he won seven of eight matches after Brendan Rodgers' departure in late October 2025, helping Celtic overcome an eight-point deficit to Hearts.
The club also parted ways with head of football operations Paul Tisdale, who had been in the role since October 2024 and was key to Nancy's appointment. Nancy's assistants—Kwame Ampadu, Jules Gueguen, and Maxime Chalier—likewise departed. Celtic's statement expressed thanks to Nancy for his efforts and wished him well.
O'Neill's return was announced shortly after, with Shaun Maloney, Mark Fotheringham, and Stephen McManus joining as assistants. The 73-year-old, who managed Celtic from 2000 to 2005—winning three Scottish league titles, three Scottish Cups, one League Cup, and reaching the 2003 UEFA Cup final—expressed enthusiasm in a club statement: “I am really pleased, in fact, very honoured to be asked back to manage the team again and I am looking forward to getting back to work again with the players.” He added a gracious note on Nancy: “I know we would all have hoped for things to have worked out differently under Wilfried and I personally want to wish him good luck... He is a fine man.”
Now in third place, six points adrift of Hearts—who are favorites to end the Old Firm's dominance since Aberdeen's 1985 triumph—Celtic face Dundee United on Saturday. In the Europa League, they sit 24th with seven points from six games, with matches against Bologna and Utrecht ahead, sandwiching another clash with Hearts. O'Neill's task is to rally the squad for a late-season recovery.
