Wilfried Nancy takes over Columbus Crew - CF Montréal lose another key piece

Columbus Crew have announced on Tuesday that they have appointed Wilfried Nancy as the club's new head coach. Nancy arrives from CF Montréal, who he guided to the playoffs finishing second in the Eastern Conference last season. In the MLS Cup, Montréal reached the Eastern Conference semifinals, where they were eliminated by New York City FC (3-1). Nancy then was a candidate for the MLS Coach of the Season award, finishing second behind Jim Curtin (Philadelphia Union). 

"We are thrilled to welcome Wilfried to Columbus as the next head coach of the Crew," Columbus Crew general manager Tim Bezbatchenko said in a club statement. "Throughout this process, it was clear that he is a knowledgeable, insightful, and innovative coach with extensive experience within the different levels of the North American soccer landscape. We know he is the right person to lead the team back into the postseason as we contend for championships." 

Nancy will replace Caleb Porter. Porter was released by the Crew after he missed out on the playoffs last season. "It is truly an honor to be the next head coach for the Crew, and my family and I are excited to settle in and become part of the Columbus community," Nancy said in a club statement. "I am looking forward to working closely with Crew 2 and the Academy program. I'm eager to get started and welcome the players back on January 6 as we begin our quest to bring another trophy to Columbus."

Nancy leaves Montréal - Canadian club slowly being dismantled 

In Nancy, Montréal are set to lose yet another key piece of last season's success. The club has already sold Djordje Mihailovic for €6m to AZ Alkmaar, Alistair Johnston for €3.5m to Celtic FC, and Ismaël Koné for €8m-10m to Watford. Victor Wanyama has also announced that he will leave the club. Further departures are possible as Kamal Miller and Joel Waterman have been linked with transfers to Europe.