Stade de Reims manager Will Still has responded to links to the vacant managerial role at Sunderland, and whilst the Englishman has confirmed “interest” in him, he does not specify from whom.
The Guardian first reported Sunderland’s interest in Still, who has guided Reims to eighth place in Ligue 1 this season. L’Équipe then added that it was in fact Still who instigated contact with the Championship side, before making a trip to London to meet the club’s representatives, a move which, according to RMC Sport, irritated the hierarchy at Les Stadistes.
However, during a pre-match press conference, transcribed by RMC Sport, Still has sought to clarify the situation. Whilst the Reims manager confirms interest from clubs, he denies having gone to London to meet with Sunderland’s executives, despite in fact making a trip back to the capital.
‘I knew at the first chance, people would try and change my image’ – Still
“I can’t deny that there is interest in me, I can confirm this, just as there has been in the past, like last summer and like these recent weeks. I find it flattering, without being arrogant at all, or pretentious. But for now, and today, I am the manager of Stade de Reims. I am still the manager of Stade de Reims. There we go, that’s what I can say about it. For me, it ends there,” he told reporters.
Still added, “On Monday, I went to London but to go and see my girlfriend, who is English and who lives in London. I think I’m a loyal client of the Eurostar because for the past three or four months, I have been making return journeys every week. If the people at Eurostar hear me, I want a loyalty price because I often take the Eurostar to go to London.”
‘If I wanted to go to England, I would have gone before now’ – Still
The Reims manager is also unhappy at how he has been portrayed during the links to Sunderland, with Still portrayed as the instigator of discussions in the French media. “I knew that at the first chance, people would try and change my image or attempt to make me out as a mercenary. It makes me laugh more than anything else. It’s like saying that I’d send my CV to Manchester United because Erik Ten Hag is under pressure. I know I’m stupid and not the most intelligent, but I’m not that stupid,” said Still, who added that him, the president of Reims, and his players have laughed at the reports. He then added, “There is interest. There always has been, and if I wanted to go to England, I would have gone before now.”
Still’s focus is on Reims’ match against RC Lens. Les Stadistes then face Le Havre AC before the winter break.
GFFN | Luke Entwistle
