Wilfried Nancy: The Man Who Made Columbus Believe Again

There will never be another manager like Wilfried Nancy.

Throughout the history of MLS and the Columbus Crew, it is hard to argue that one man has had as much of an impact on a team as Nancy has on the Black & Gold. The numbers speak for itself – 71 wins, 32 draws, just 31 losses and 282 goals – but the Frenchman’s impact goes well beyond just statistics.

Some things cannot be measured by data points on a graph. There is not a statistical output to describe a Black & Gold’s fan’s feelings when club legends are sold, new stars are signed, rivals are vanquished, titles are won and homegrowns move on.

All of those moments and memories would not have been possible if not for Wilfried Nancy. Nancy inherited a team filled with talent, but festering in a system that prioritized “boring”, passive soccer to grind out 1-0 wins.

Nancy took that squad and revolutionized the way that soccer was played in Columbus. Defenders became attackers, midfielders became defenders and goalkeepers aided in the buildup to produce the most beautiful result: fluid, attack-minded winning soccer.

All of this was birthed from the mind of Nancy. He took risks, evolved his team and produced some of the best soccer MLS has seen, and likely will ever see.

The best part about it was, he did it Columbus’ way. He did not go out and poach retired international stars like some less-historic clubs tend to do nowadays, but instead he developed talent. Max Arfsten, Sean Zawadzki, Aidan Morris, Mohammed Farsi and Patrick Schulte all leapt to new heights under his leadership and became cornerstones of the squad in the years following.

His development of talent did not stop at the youth level, overhauling seasoned players’ playstyles for the benefit of the team. Nancy morphed Steven Moreira – once a fullback – into an MLS Defender of the Year winning centerback. Cucho Hernandez ascended to become a versatile attacking monster who could cut the opposition in a plethora of different ways. Even Darlington Nagbe underwent a metamorphosis into more of a tempo-dictating maestro rather than an attack-minded central midfielder.

The best part about Wilfried Nancy though, is he chose Columbus. In a league where the sun of the west coast, the lights of big cities or the beaches of South Florida are most attractive, Nancy set his roots in Columbus, Ohio.

He chose a city who loves their soccer, a fanbase who saved their team from relocation and an organization that is steeped in history. Now he has become intertwined in the fabric of this franchise’s history, undergoing one of the most successful stints in club history.

His bold, brash and beautiful style netted Columbus an MLS Cup, Leagues Cup, and appearances in the Campeones Cup and CONCACAF Champions Cup finals. Although the silverware is a nice touch, the way in which his teams won those games is an entirely different conversation.

Through his 134-game tenure, Nancy’s Crew scored 2.1 goals per game. The Frenchman’s mantra was predicated on relentless focus, timely pressure and defending with possession. This was not Caleb Porter and Gregg Berhalter’s passive possession system of yesteryear; this was fluid soccer on steroids.

The free-flowing Crew captivated crowds in every way imaginable. Attack the Black & Gold with numbers? Get ready for a counterattack. Defend deep with 11 players? Prepare for Columbus to probe the defense until it cracks. Adaptability is the name of Nancy’s game, and that is why he is heading to Scotland to undertake a position as Celtic’s new manager.

Crew fans knew this was coming from the moment they saw the Black & Gold under his guide. The man that masterminded a beautiful tactical system and yielded trophies was not long for this league. What Columbus fans will miss most is not the games, the goals, the titles or accolades, they will miss a manager that connected with them – the fans.

Nancy came in and not only revolutionized soccer in the city, but he also brought healing to a community that was still scarred from the deplorable actions of Anthony Precourt and his queso-blinded henchmen. After going through a war to keep the city’s beloved team and a championship in 2020 followed by two seasons of mediocrity, fans of the Black & Gold were gifted with a manager who understood them and gave the city, fanbase and team everything he had.

And for that, we say thank you.

Thank you for the memories, the titles, the belief and the motivational sayings that got an entire fanbase ready to show up in all weather and cheer for the Yellow Soccer Team. Most of all, thank you for embracing an entire city and showcasing that we deserve to belong in the spotlight among the best – as the best.

As for what Celtic is getting? It is best to let Nancy explain in his own words:

“I am not a boss; I am a leader”