Celtic Dismisses Manager Wilfried Nancy After Just Eight Matches

Celtic have dismissed manager Wilfried Nancy on Monday following only eight matches at the helm of the Scottish title holders, a period marked by six losses for his side.

The 3-1 home defeat to bitter rivals Rangers on Saturday triggered demonstrations outside Celtic Park and proved to be the breaking point for the club's leadership.

"Celtic Football Club today confirms the decision to end manager Wilfried Nancy's contract with immediate effect," read an official statement from the club.

The Scottish outfit further noted that Nancy's coaching team, along with Paul Tisdale as head of football operations, have also departed the club.

Prior to this role, Nancy had led MLS outfit Columbus Crew; he began his tenure at Celtic on December 4 with a two-and-a-half-year deal, succeeding temporary manager Martin O'Neill.

He vowed to deliver supporters "a dynamic, thrilling, offensive, victorious squad that fills them with pride".

However, the role swiftly became a disaster, featuring four losses in his opening four fixtures, notably a 3-1 reversal against St Mirren in the Scottish League Cup final.

This marked the initial occasion Celtic had endured four consecutive defeats since a comparable streak under iconic boss Jock Stein back in 1978.

Nancy secured his initial pair of victories towards the end of December, overcoming Aberdeen and Livingston.

Yet, setbacks followed against Motherwell, culminating in a 3-1 collapse at home to Rangers over the weekend, even after Celtic had gone ahead at Celtic Park.

This result positioned Celtic in second place in the standings, trailing Scottish Premiership frontrunners Hearts by six points.

The Glasgow side triumphed in seven of eight outings under interim charge of O'Neill, who stepped in after Brendan Rogers exited in October to manage Saudi Pro League team Al-Qadsiah.

Celtic and Rangers constitute Scotland's "Old Firm" rivalry, with each having claimed the Scottish crown 55 times. 

As the inaugural British side to claim the European Cup in 1967, Celtic have captured 13 of the last 14 league championships.

The most recent instance of a club beyond Celtic or Rangers securing the Scottish crown occurred in 1985 with Aberdeen, then guided by Alex Ferguson.