Sacked by Southampton, Will Still bounces back to Auxerre for two seasons

Will Still returns to Ligue 1 just one year after leaving RC Lens. AJ Auxerre officially announced on Friday the signing of the 33-year-old Belgian manager for two seasons, making him the successor to Christophe Pelissier.

Still arrives at Auxerre after a mixed spell in England. Appointed to the Southampton bench in the Championship, he failed to convince the board, compiling 4 wins, 6 draws and 6 defeats before being sacked for insufficient results. His return to France comes sooner than expected, but in a favorable context: Auxerre, which secured its Ligue 1 survival in the final weeks of the season, is looking to establish itself in the elite.

Pelissier, despite being the architect of this last-gasp survival, was dismissed by the board, paving the way for Still. The Burgundy club justified its choice in a statement: “The entire AJ Auxerre welcomes Will Still, whose energy, demands and top-level experience fully align with the club’s ambitions.”

Auxerre becomes the third Ligue 1 club of Still’s career, after Stade de Reims, where he made his mark between 2022 and 2024, and Lens, which he joined before being replaced by Pierre Sage. At 33, he remains one of the youngest managers in the French championship and one of the most closely watched profiles of his generation.