Will Still evokes Lens future following president’s comments | OneFootball

Will Still has addressed his future as manager of RC Lens after the club’s president, Joseph Oughourlian, stated that he wanted the former Stade de Reims manager to remain in his post beyond the end of the season.

Still was not dealt an easy hand when he joined RC Lens in the summer. Following the end of his time at Stade de Reims, he was strongly linked with a move back to England before instead taking the reigns from Franck Haise at Lens. Not only did he have the daunting task of replacing a club legend, he also had to contend with the imposition of a more austere regime at the club.

Despite that, Lens have an outside chance of securing European football in what Still admits has been a “turbulent” first year with Les Sang et Or. Within this context, Joseph Oughourlian told RMC Sport the following earlier this week: Will Still stay next season? I hope so! If it is up to me, then yes. He is superb. We have rarely had a manager so close to the club’s identity, even his Anglo-Belgian side. He has quality and a close group. He doesn’t bite the hand that feeds and it hasn’t been an easy year for him. He comes out of this year having grown,” said the Lens president.

Speaking ahead of a meeting with his former club, Reims, on Friday, Still addressed his future. “I signed here for three years. We have had a first season that was… turbulent but we adapted and we are still here and still smiling. There is no reason for that not to continue. It is up to us to do things well this summer to be even more competitive next season and continue growing, quite simply, be it me personally or the club,” said Still.

Oughourlian wants the Anglo-Belgian manager to stay and Still himself is ready to remain at the Stade Bollaert next season. All signs, therefore suggest that the former Stadistes manager will stay with the Northern club. Lens are currently ninth in Ligue 1 and just five points away from seventh-placed Lille OSC. Should Paris Saint-Germain win the Coupe de France final against Reims, as expected, that position will be enough for qualification for the UEFA Europa Conference League.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle