Will Still looks grim. Saturday evening during the 16th day of Ligue 1, his Stade de Reims team suffered a fourth defeat in five days on the ground of RC Lens (0-2) despite an attractive face. Annoyed by the lack of efficiency of his players, the Belgian coach expressed his frustration after a turbulent week concerning him.
“The team is progressing and Reims is showing a good image. But at some point it will get boring to show beautiful images, he commented. We have to reward ourselves and put this kind of match in our pocket. But maybe that’s part of our learning. I will do everything to ensure that Reims finishes in the top 9 and does better if the possibility exists. The club responded positively this evening, I hope that has put an end to your stories.
These “stories” refer to rumors of the departure of the 31-year-old coach, who would have met the leaders of Sunderland (Championship) in recent days according to The Guardian and the Team. When questioned on the subject, Still pretended to visit his girlfriend in London before the weekend meeting. A way for him to close the case, finally put back on the table by… the Lens-Reims referee, François Letexier.
“Was it my last away match in Ligue 1? That’s what the referee told me at the end of the match. I found that funny of him. Or rather not funny at all, railed Still, who would have criticized the refereeing at the final whistle. It wasn’t my last match at all. Unless the club fires me tomorrow. But I don’t think that’s planned. I am and will be the coach of Stade de Reims for many more months or years, I hope. The referee said to me something like: ‘It will be better in England’. Something like that. I didn’t find it very appropriate. It’s uninteresting.”
Contacted by the Team this Sunday, Mr Letexier assured that he had no intention of poking the Reims technician. “I just said to him at the end of the match: ‘Maybe good luck in England then,’” the referee responded. It was meant to be light, with a smile and without any unhealthy intention. He misinterpreted it, I surely see frustration there, but the main thing is elsewhere.