Belgian-born Englishman Will Still is the youngest manager in Europe’s top five leagues. He took over as interim manager of the French club in October after former Watford manager Oscar Garcia was asked to pack his bags.
This has resulted in a 19 league unbeaten streak, and the main man himself is starting to notice the attention around him growing.
– My phone hasn’t stopped ringing for the past few months, and I always get asked to take pictures with people when I’m shopping. I don’t mind, because I know getting to know each other is part of the job.
– At the same time, I know how quickly things can change in football, Still told BBC Sport.
Huge penalty
Still’s impressive unbeaten run has been noted in several European media outlets, but there is also another factor in his coaching career that draws attention.
Still doesn’t have a so-called “UEFA Pro license”, which is a requirement that all French Premier League coaches must have.
The result is that every time Still leads Reims to a Ligue 1 match, the club are fined £22,000 (around NOK 276,000), according to BBC Sport.
– I don’t think he cares
The young coach is currently in the process of obtaining his Uefa Pro license at the National Football Center in Belgium. He goes there once or twice a month to get the qualification needed to coach the best European football – without a waiting fine after every game.
LACK OF LICENCE: Due to the lack of a Uefa Pro licence, Reims have to pay £22,000 each time Still manages the team. Photo: CHRISTOPHE SAIDI/SIPA/Shutterstock/NTB
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Started with “Football Manager”
Still has previously revealed that he is a big fan of the “Football Manager” game. In this game you can take control of any club and implement your own tactics and way of playing football.
There are of course big differences between being a coach in the game and in real life, but Still took the hunger to win in the game with him in the real world.
– “Football Manager” is kind of part of my side who wanted to become a football manager. It’s so realistic now, but it made me think it could be something more. So in a way it played a part in my coaching career.
– If it had anything to do with football, I’d take a slice of it, Still tells BBC Sport, saying at the same time that he doesn’t want to be defined as the manager who started with ‘Football Manager’.
The coaching sensation has a contract with Reims until the end of the season, but admits to BBC Sport he dreams of one day leading a Premier League or Championship side on the pitch.
Reims are currently eighth in Ligue 1 and will face a tough challenge at Monaco in this weekend’s league round.
