Frenchman Wilfried Nancy is living his American dream. The team he coaches, the Columbus Crew, won the North American Football Championship (MLS) on Saturday at home, dominating the defending champions Los Angeles FC 2 goals to 1 in the final.
A penalty from Cucho Hernandez (33rd) and a goal from Yaw Yeboah (37th) crowned the Ohio players, despite the reduction in the score of former Stéphanois Denis Bouanga (74th). The Columbus Crew thus wins its third championship trophy after 2008 and 2020, the first with Wilfried Nancy.
A path opened by Henry and Vieira
The French coach of the Columbus Crew said he was “very proud […] because it rewards a lot of work, and a lot of courage.” “But I’m not happy at the same time. Because it’s not normal [d’être devenu samedi le premier coach noir titré dans le championnat MLS]. I’m proud to be a representative, to be the only black one. But I’m not happy about it. This is something that needs to change. I know MLS is trying. It’s not just a problem in MLS,” he regretted.
Although several black coaches have already officiated in MLS, notably French soccer stars Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira, Wilfried Nancy is currently the only one at the head of a franchise. And the first to win the title. The North American championship has taken several initiatives to improve opportunities for black coaches, which Nancy welcomed.
Aged 46, this little-known technician spent as a player in the French lower divisions between the 1990s and the beginning of the 2000s, has spent his entire coaching career in North America since 2005. After having been Thierry’s assistant Henry in Montreal, he took charge of the first team in 2021, then joined Columbus at the end of 2022.
Coronation of a former Toulouse and Lorient
Saturday, in a full stadium with 20,802 people and a magnificent atmosphere, with chants starting more than two hours before kick-off, the Columbus Crew demonstrated its qualities as a possession team, facing counterattacks from Los Angeles.
Former Ligue 1 player (Toulouse, Lorient), Cape Verdean international defender Steven Moreira is crowned with the Crew. In the final he faced Mexican striker Carlos Vela (Arsenal, Real Sociedad) and former Italian football boss Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus Turin). “It’s been a great journey, we can be proud of it. Of course I’m sad about the result, I don’t think we are inferior to them, but they played much better than us tonight,” explained Chiellini who, at 39, has not yet announced whether he would like to continue his career.