'It certainly tarnished my image!' – Ligue 1 sensation Will Still hits out at 'made up' links with Sunderland

Reims manager Will Still has accused journalists linking him with Sunderland of tarnishing his image.

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• Will Still rubbishes Sunderland reports
• Reims boss linked with Championship club
• Still says his reputation has been tarnished

• Table of Contents

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Still was linked with the vacant manager position at Championship side Sunderland, a position now filled by former Queens Park Rangers boss Michael Beale. The Reims coach has now labelled those reports as untrue and damaging to his reputation.

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• WHAT WILL STILL SAID

  Still told Gazete van Antwerpen: "I don’t know which French-language newspaper made up that story, but it certainly tarnished my image.

  "Now I know journalists can make or break you. The article was also quickly adopted in England. Suddenly I was in all the tabloids. Everyone thought I had offered myself to Sunderland. [That] I wasn’t being honest, so to speak. And not to be trusted. But I would never offer myself to another club.

  "I’m not wired like that. I have too much respect for the people I work with for that. It’s a shame the story was blown up so much."

• WHAT DID STILL SAY ABOUT HIS CONTRACT?

  Still has a release clause in his Reims contract, something he says he wasn't aware of.

  "I didn’t even know that clause [allowing him to leave for €5m] was in my contract until last week. Perhaps that is why Sunderland put some pressure on certain media. Was it an attempt to get me out of here for free? I don’t know.

  "I’m not interested in it either. But it does frustrate me. Because now it seems like I’ve become arrogant. Or started floating [in the clouds]. But that is absolutely not the case. I am still the same Will as I was at Lierse or Beerschot."

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Still made headlines when – at age 30 – he was appointed Reims boss in late 2022, becoming the youngest manager in Europe's top five leagues. His story went viral when it emerged that Reims were getting fined €25,000 every time he managed the team because he didn't have a UEFA Pro license. After leading Reims to a comfortable mid-table finish last season, Still's side are currently eighth in Ligue 1.