AJ Auxerre officially announced the appointment of Will Still as its new head coach on a contract covering the next two seasons with a third year in option, a deal that runs through 2028; the 33-year-old will take up his duties at the start of summer preparation.
Still replaces Christophe Pélissier, who was dismissed even after guiding Auxerre to Ligue 1 safety. Auxerre secured survival in dramatic fashion — beating Nice 2-1 on the penultimate matchday and finishing 15th after a 2-0 win over Lille on the final day — but the club’s leadership opted for a new direction. The change lands under owner James Zhou as the team moves into its off-season planning.
Will Still arrives with immediate Ligue 1 experience: he spent two seasons at Reims, where he oversaw a run of 19 matches without defeat and left after guiding the club to ninth place in 2024, then took Lens to eighth in his only season there. His résumé also includes a brief spell in English football; he was dismissed by Southampton in November 2025 after the 13th round.
Auxerre’s announcement included statements from Still that frame his priorities. He said he felt very proud to join the city’s history and described the stadium as "mythic," and he underlined his playing philosophy, saying he has no wish to sit back and watch opponents play — his teams will go out to press. Still also acknowledged recent events in his life, noting that everyone is aware of what has happened.
Context matters here: Auxerre has changed coaches despite keeping its place in Ligue 1, and the move comes amid a tense period for the club, where supporter distrust toward the management has been a persistent undercurrent. Still’s appointment is designed to supply a clear footballing identity — an aggressive, pressing approach he has spoken about — but it also raises immediate questions about stability and buy-in in a squad that fought to stay up.
The practical consequence is straightforward: players, staff and supporters will face a new training regime and tactical demands when pre-season begins. The club has set the calendar in motion by naming a coach who has repeatedly promised intensity; whether he can impose that style rapidly will determine the tone of Auxerre’s summer transfers and preparation.
The most consequential open question now is how quickly Still can translate past spells of form — the long unbeaten run at Reims and a top-eight finish at Lens — into a cohesive pressing team at Auxerre and, crucially, restore confidence around the club’s leadership before Ligue 1 restarts. He arrives on a clear timeline: start of summer preparation, two seasons under contract with a third-year option, and the short window of pre-season to make his imprint.
