'Only tool': New Celtic manager Wilfried Nancy sets out his philosophy and explains why he fits with club
Frenchman says ‘style of play is about the way I live’
Wilfried Nancy declared Celtic the perfect fit for his “open-minded” and “proactive” approach to life and football after starting work as Hoops manager.
The Frenchman arrived at the club’s Lennoxtown training centre on Thursday and will kick off his reign against Premiership leaders Hearts on Sunday.
The former Montreal and Columbus Crew head coach spoke about his focus on connecting with people in an interview with Celtic TV.
“The story of this club is amazing and I can feel the connection,” he said. “I have been following the club for many years and know the club really well. And I think the connection with my background, and the story of Celtic, fits perfectly with the person I am and the person I want to become.
“This is a club for all. And the way I have been educated by my parents is about being open-minded and also about having empathy for people, and to understand where they come from.”
The 48-year-old, whose father was in the navy, added: “I have been travelling a lot from when I was young, that has helped me see people with new eyes. The way I see football is a connection with the way I live. It’s a way of life and the brand of Celtic fits me really well. This is something that I love.”
Nancy’s management style
On his style of management, Nancy said: “I don’t consider myself as a boss. I am a leader. And for me the definition of a leader is create a good environment to help people express themselves. For me, that is so important. Because of my background, I was able to connect with people. I am not saying I have the secret, it is just how things have happened.
“For me, it’s really important to discover different cultures. I am a dad with two kids and I am also really excited for my family, to come here and discover a new country. I believe for the future of my kids, it’s going to be really interesting for them.”
Nancy believes his approach to life influences his tactics as he looks for creativity within a structure. “My style of play is about the way I live,” he said. “I like to be proactive in my life, I like to discover things. I also like to try things because the more you try things, the more you learn and the more you’re going to maximise your chance to have success in your life.
“We want to take care of the ball. The ball is the only tool in our life, without talking, that we can connect people. So can we use the ball to create emotions? Can we use the ball to score goals? Can we use the ball to have messages between us? So that’s why I want proactive football.
“Knowing that you’re going to have difficult moments and when we have difficult moments, we have to be strong together and resilient. For me, it’s a kind of life lesson regarding the way you’re going to behave when you suffer. You should be able to transmit it on the pitch.
“I try to entertain people. I don’t know anybody who likes to lose. So the idea is to maximise our chance to win.”
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