The 5 Celtic managers with the shortest life spans after Wilfried Nancy sacking

On Monday morning, the news most Celtic supporters, including Rod Stewart, were waiting for was confirmed. Following Saturday's catastrophic 3-1 defeat to Rangers in the Old Firm, Wilfried Nancy was sacked as manager. Paul Tisdale was also dismissed as Head of Football Operations.

The Frenchman's time in Glasgow will go down in history as one of the worst managerial appointments ever, not just at Celtic but anywhere. Nancy lost six of his eight matches in charge, lasting only 33 days in the role. This includes being defeated in the League Cup Final against St Mirren, as well as in a top-of-the-table clash against Hearts and the Glasgow derby at the weekend.

So, where does Nancy rank among the previous 19 men to have managed Celtic, and is he the shortest-serving head coach in the club's 138-year history? Here are the top five managers who have been in charge of Celtic for the shortest period of time, not including caretakers or interims.

The 5 Celtic managers with the shortest life spans

5: Jozef Vengloš - 1998/99

In the summer of 1998, Wim Jansen had just led Celtic to their first league title for a decade, thereby stopping Rangers' pursuit of ten-in-a-row. However, after a falling out with the club's hierarchy, the Dutchman surprisingly departed, and this would prove to be the end of his managerial career.

To replace him, the Hoops hired Jozef Vengloš. This was his 16th coaching position, taking him far and wide. This includes winning two league titles with Slovan Bratislava and leading Czechoslovakia to a World Cup quarter-final, as well as stints with Sporting CP, Aston Villa, Fenerbahçe and others.

That said, Vengloš could not add to his trophy haul in Glasgow; Celtic finished second in the table and were beaten by Rangers in the Scottish Cup Final at Hampden. Thus, Vengloš departed at the end of the campaign following 50 matches in charge.

4: Tony Mowbray: 2009/10

Fast forward to the summer of 2009 and Celtic are searching for a new manager again. After narrowly missing out on the title, Gordon Strachan had resigned and become Middlesbrough manager. Thus, the board turn to Tony Mowbray, a former Celtic player, after he'd won the EFL Championship title with West Brom.

Lo and behold, Mowbray's reputation was not enhanced by his time in Scotland. He departed trophyless, knocked out of the cups by Ross County and Hearts, as well as failing to qualify for the Champions League group stages. Mowbray was dismissed in March following a 4-0 pummelling at St Mirren.

His successor, Neil Lennon, won eight straight Premiership matches to conclude the campaign, but they still ended up six points behind champions Rangers.

3: Lou Macari: 1993/94

Back in October 1993, after Liam Brady's tenure came to an end, Lou Macari was his replacement. He had joined Celtic as a teenager, making his first-team breakthrough at Parkhead before departing for Manchester United, hoovering up silverware both north and south of Hadrian's Wall.

As a coach, Macari was showing promising signs in charge of Swindon, West Ham, Birmingham and Stoke, gaining two promotions with the Robins, before winning back-to-back EFL Trophies in charge of the Blues and the Potters. Thus, he appeared the perfect appointment.

However, that certainly did not prove to be the case. Celtic won only 12 of 34 matches under Macari, finishing fourth in the Premier Division. Thus, this is the most-recent time the Celts have not qualified for UEFA competition, with Macari swiftly dismissed come May.

2: John Barnes: 1999/00

Sticking in the '90s, they say that managing Celtic is like no other club. Well, in John Barnes' case, he had literally managed no other club upon his arrival. Following a trophyless campaign under Vengloš, the board took a big swing, hiring one of the most famous faces in British football at the time, albeit someone with no coaching experience.

Barnes won 19 of his 29 matches in charge, albeit losing eight, so he was relieved of his duties by February. His final match in charge was a home Scottish Cup defeat at the hands of second-tier Inverness Caledonian Thistle. This famously brought about the Sun headline: Super Caley go ballistic, Celtic are atrocious.

After that, Barnes' only two managerial roles were in charge of the Jamaican national team, and Tranmere Rovers, albeit he was only in charge of 11 and 12 matches respectively.

1: Wilfried Nancy: 2025/26

So, we arrive at present day and yes, Wilfried Nancy is the shortest-serving Celtic manager ever. The Frenchman's ill-fated eight game tenure smashed John Barnes' record by 21 games. For context, Nancy would have had to remain in situ by April, at the absolute earliest, to reach that tally.

The Frenchman oversaw Premiership defeats at the hands of Hearts, Dundee United, Motherwell and Rangers, was smashed 3-0 by Roma in the Europa League and was defeated by St Mirren in a cup final at Hampden.

So now, for the second time this season, Martin O'Neill will return on an interim basis, this time until the end of the season. He is seeking to chase down leaders Hearts, currently six points in front. Should he do so, Nancy would be entitled to a Premiership winners medal come May and, in fairness, he did contribute six points to the Celts tally, albeit he's unlikely to be invited to any trophy day.

Complete list of Celtic managers

O'Neill will leapfrog Rodgers as Celtic's sixth-longest serving manager when his team take on Bologna at Stadio Renato Dall'Ara in the Europa League later this month.

The Northern Irishman already boasts the best win percentage of any boss in the club's history, looking to further enhance that statistic against Dundee United on Saturday.