Quick Read
- Victor Wanyama captained CF Montreal to a Canadian Championship win under coach Wilfried Nancy.
- Montreal set club records for most points and away wins during Wanyama’s tenure.
- Nancy’s departure led to instability, resetting the team’s progress.
- Wanyama highlights the difference in pressure between MLS and European football.
- Celtic is considering Nancy for their managerial position, hoping for a similar impact.
Victor Wanyama’s Montreal Experience: Beyond the Numbers
Victor Wanyama’s career has spanned continents, but his time at CF Montreal stands out for its blend of personal growth, leadership, and adaptation. Speaking to Telecom Asia in February, Wanyama reflected candidly on what it meant to play under Wilfried Nancy, a coach who transformed not just the team’s tactics, but its entire outlook.
When Nancy took the helm in 2021, after serving as Thierry Henry’s assistant, Montreal was searching for stability and identity. Wanyama, already an established force from his Celtic days, found himself in a league where the stakes felt different. “It is a bit different from England, where there is constant pressure to perform and get good results,” he said. “In the MLS, it is not quite the same, because there are no issues like relegation and promotion and hence not much pressure on the teams there.”
This absence of existential pressure in Major League Soccer presented both opportunities and challenges. For Wanyama, it meant less anxiety about survival, but also a need to foster competitiveness from within. Under Nancy, Montreal adopted a mentality focused on making history and pushing boundaries, a shift that Wanyama credits for the team’s record-breaking 2022 season.
Building a New Mentality: Records and Silverware
Wanyama’s captaincy coincided with one of Montreal’s most successful periods. The team clinched the Canadian Championship, defeating rivals Toronto FC—a victory that Wanyama calls a historic moment for the club. “I am glad I was part of it,” he told Telecom Asia. That win marked Nancy’s first career silverware, and it came as a result of the collective spirit fostered between coach and players.
Beyond trophies, the 2022 season saw Montreal set milestones: the highest number of points in club history and the most away wins ever recorded. Wanyama’s leadership played a pivotal role, but he’s quick to point to the culture change that Nancy inspired. “We brought in a new mentality into the team and this helped the club grow,” he explained, emphasizing that success was not just measured in statistics, but in attitude and resilience.
Challenges and Transitions: Coaching Changes and Uncertainty
Yet, as in many football stories, progress was not linear. The frequent change in coaches at Montreal made continuity difficult. “Unfortunately that didn’t take long, because the club kept changing coaches, and this made things a bit difficult,” Wanyama admitted. Nancy’s departure to Columbus was particularly disappointing for him, not just personally but for the momentum the team had built. “When he left, it’s like we started from zero again.”
This sentiment is familiar to many professionals who experience the fragility of football’s success. A visionary leader can transform a squad, but maintaining that trajectory depends on stability—something Wanyama found lacking after Nancy’s exit.
Lessons for Celtic and Beyond
Wanyama’s insights have become newly relevant as Wilfried Nancy emerges as a front-runner for the managerial position at Celtic. According to 67 Hail Hail, the club is keen to replicate the impact Nancy had in Montreal. Martin O’Neill confirmed that talks are progressing, with Nancy expected to start imminently, and his assistant Kwame Ampadu already connected to Celtic’s Head of Football Operations, Paul Tisdale.
For Celtic fans, Wanyama’s experience offers a glimpse of what Nancy could bring to Glasgow: a focus on building a winning mentality, fostering unity, and setting new benchmarks. The hope is that Nancy’s approach—described by Wanyama as collaborative and transformative—can ignite similar success in Scotland.
But the story is also a cautionary tale about the importance of stability in management. Wanyama’s Montreal journey illustrates that while a coach can create history, lasting growth requires continuity and support from the club’s hierarchy.
A Broader Perspective: Football’s Changing Landscape
Wanyama’s reflections on the differences between European football and MLS are instructive. In leagues without promotion or relegation, the pressure shifts from survival to legacy. Players and coaches must manufacture motivation, and clubs must define success beyond just the standings.
For Wanyama, being part of record-setting moments and lifting silverware was rewarding, but the real achievement lay in changing how the team approached challenges. The Montreal experience was about instilling belief and ambition, qualities that transcend any single season or competition.
As Celtic eyes Nancy for its next chapter, Wanyama’s words offer both inspiration and a roadmap: focus on mentality, nurture leadership, and recognize that true progress is built over time, not overnight.
Assessment: Victor Wanyama’s tenure at Montreal under Wilfried Nancy demonstrates how a manager’s vision can reshape a club’s fortunes, but it also highlights the fragile nature of progress in football. Success is more than trophies—it’s about changing mindsets and building foundations. As Celtic considers Nancy, Wanyama’s experience stands as both a beacon and a warning: transformation requires not just talent, but also institutional support and continuity.