Unbeaten for 15 games, wrested a point from the Qatar ensemble Paris Saint-Germain, suddenly famous. 30-year-old Will Still's life will be turned upside down in December 2022. What starts on the home PC and sounds like an advertising campaign is worth a fine of 25,000 per game to his club.
Will Still did what many football fans can only dream of: the native Belgian with English parents spent hours playing the popular Football Manager in his youth. Now, a few years later, Still works as the head coach of the French first division club Stade Reims - and very successfully.
"I was obsessed with playing Football Manager growing up. My brother and I played it non-stop," Still told The Coaches Voice website. Out of this passion for the game, Still decided to focus fully on the coaching profession and began training as a coach in England at an early age.
"The game probably kindled the fire in me that I now have as a coach on the touchline," said the West Ham United fan. Since Still's parents didn't allow a Playstation, that manager game was played on the "family computer".
After various stints as interim and assistant coach, the 30-year-old was finally promoted to boss at the end of 2022 and is now the youngest coach in Europe's top five leagues. And his sporting record is impressive: Still has been unbeaten with Reims for 15 competitive games and recently even defeated the star ensemble from Paris St. Germain by a point (1: 1). Today (3 p.m. / DAZN) the series at Ligue 1 promoted and relegation candidate AJ Auxerre is to be further expanded.
Still is amazed that his experience from the manager game, in which fans can slip into the role of coach and/or manager themselves and lead the fortunes of a club, still helps him today.
"I never thought Football Manager would have an impact on my real-life career, but now that I think about it, it definitely has," said Still, who has also tested some of his ideas virtually first. By the way, his playmate and brother Edward is now coaching the Belgian first division club KAS Eupen.
There is a small catch to this almost fairytale story: because Still does not have a UEFA Pro license, his club has to pay a fine of 25,000 euros for every game he stands on the sidelines. However, that doesn't seem to be a problem. "The club said to me: 'We are ready to invest in your career,' emphasized success coach Still in the "Daily Mail": "As long as you win."
