Will Still to be named new Southampton manager
Will Still is set to become the next Southampton manager (AFP via Getty Images)
Will Still is set to be named as Southampton's new manager after agreeing a deal with the soon-to-be Championship club.
Highly-rated Still recently left his role as manager of RC Lens earlier this month after leading the club to an eighth-placed finish in Ligue 1 and cited a desire to be closer to his family back in England. Still's parner, Sky Sports presenter Emma Saunders, revealed she had encephalitis, a brain infection, in March.
Advertisement
The 32-year-old will sign a three-year contract with the Saints, set to be announced on Sunday, and will be tasked with sealing an immediate return to the Premier League.
Saints have endured a terrible season in the top flight this year and were relegated early in April, having won just two of their 37 games, although that – combined with six draws – at least meant they narrowly avoided matching Derby County's record low points total of 11.
Russell Martin was in charge at the start of the season but was dismissed in December due to poor results and his successor, Ivan Juric, was unable to turn around Southampton's fortunes. He was let go after just 107 days in charge leaving the club searching for another manager, with Still now ready to fill the void.
Former Sheffield Wednesday boss, Danny Rohl, was linked with the role before the appointment of Juric and was considered once again this time but the club hierarchy have opted for the much-touted Still, who initially burst to prominence as he impressed while in charge of Reims despite not yet having all his coaching badges.
Advertisement
He moved to Lens last summer but following their season-ending 4-0 win over Monaco earlier this month, Still revealed: 'I will not be the coach of RC Lens next season. Today was my last match of the season at Bollaert.
'The main reason pushing me to make this decision is the fact that I need to return home. Everyone is well aware of what has happened in my life. That's why.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
NI need 'more than one captain' - O'Neill
International Friendly: Denmark v Northern Ireland Venue: Parken Stadium, Copenhagen Date: Saturday, 7 June Kick-off: 18:00 BST Coverage: Watch live on BBC iPlayer and BBC Two NI, listen on BBC Sounds and follow live text commentary & in-play clips on the BBC Sport website Advertisement Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill says he sees "no reason" to appoint a permanent captain of the side at this stage after discussions with his squad. Jonny Evans retired from international football in August and O'Neill has since rotated through a number of options. Conor Bradley, Shea Charles, Daniel Ballard, Paddy McNair and Trai Hume have all led the side in the past year and the latter will again wear the armband in the friendly against Denmark in Copenhagen on Saturday. "It worked well for us in the Nations League, so we've no reason to address it at this minute in time," O'Neill said. Advertisement "What we're trying to get from this group of players is a number of leaders, not just someone that has the captaincy for a long period of time. "The captain wears the armband, but you need more than one captain on the pitch, and I think the way we've handled that and the way the players have handled that in terms of sharing that responsibility has been a positive. "Having had the conversations with the players that have had that honour to captain the country, they feel it's a good thing as well." With San Diego FC defender Paddy McNair, who has won 75 caps for his country, withdrawing through injury, Millwall midfielder George Saville is the only player in Northern Ireland's squad over the age of 30. Advertisement Hume, 23, feels the age profile of the squad lends itself to using different players in the role. "It's probably easier to share the leadership around the group than it is for one person to take full responsibility," said the full-back who will also lead the side against Iceland in Belfast on Tuesday. "I think as a young group we probably need that. We spoke about it and it's easier to do it that way. "There's a lot of leaders within the team, not just myself." Hume previously captained the team in the Nations League against Luxembourg and Bulgaria in September but said he did not feel the role changed his approach. Advertisement "Obviously, you're wearing the armband, you're leading the team out and you're proud to do so, but I don't see it as anything different than what I would already give to the team and give to the squad," he added. "I'll just take it in my stride and just keep doing what I'm doing." Having gained promotion through the Championship play-offs alongside his international team-mate Ballard, the Sunderland duo will bolster Northern Ireland's Premier League representation next season. Of O'Neill's squad, only Liverpool's Conor Bradley and Crystal Palace's Justin Devenny featured in England's top tier during the 2024-25 season. Advertisement Hume joined the Black Cats from Linfield when they were a League One side in 2022 having also represented Ballymena United in the Irish Premiership. "I think Trai is a great example to all the young players that there is no set pathway or journey to get to be an international footballer," said O'Neill. "You don't have to be at Liverpool or Manchester United at 15 or 16 to have that pathway. Trai came down a different route through our own domestic league. "For me Trai is probably more like the lads that used to be in the squad when I was in it. Modern footballers get caught up in a lot of stuff. Trai doesn't seem to be fazed by any of that which is quite refreshing."
Fox News
3 hours ago
- Fox News
Simone Biles spars with Riley Gaines over trans athlete debate, launches personal attack: 'Truly sick'
Simone Biles took offense to OutKick contributor Riley Gaines calling out a Minnesota high school whose softball team won a state championship Friday with a transgender pitcher. Marissa Rothenberger, a transgender athlete, tossed a shutout to continue a dominant postseason and give Champlin Park High School a state championship. The Minnesota State High School League posted a photo of the team on social media after the game, and Gaines noted the comments on X were turned off. "To be expected when your star player is a boy," Gaines wrote. Biles, a seven-time Olympic gold medalist, saw the post and told Gaines she was "truly sick." "All of this campaigning because you lost a race. Straight up sore loser," Biles wrote to Gaines, who competed against trans swimmer Lia Thomas in 2022. "You should be uplifting the trans community and perhaps finding a way to make sports inclusive OR creating a new avenue where trans feel safe in sports. Maybe a transgender category IN ALL sports!! But instead… You bully them… One things for sure is no one in sports is safe with you around!!!!!" In another post, Biles added, "bully someone your own size, which would ironically be a male." "This is actually so disappointing. It's not my job or the job of any woman to figure out how to include men in our spaces. You can uplift men stealing championships in women's sports with YOUR platform. Men don't belong in women's sports and I say that with my full chest," Gaines responded. Gaines added in a separate post, "My take is the least controversial take on the planet. Simone Biles being a male-apologist at the expense of young girls' dreams? Didn't have that on my bingo card. Maybe she could compete in pommel horse and rings in 2028." "And the subtle hint at 'body-shaming' ???? Plzzzz I'm 5'5," Gaines also said in response to the personal attack. Biles did not go as far as saying transgender athletes belong in competition against girls and women. When an X user told Biles "there is a reason they have rings in men's gymnastics, and not women's," Biles questioned the users "comprehension skills." "Can you even read? I see we are lacking comprehension skills as well….." Biles wrote. Biles did recommend a transgender category in her first post to Gaines. Studies have shown that nearly 80% of people believe that biological males should stay out of girls and women's sports. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Jonatan Giraldéz addresses departure from Washington Spirit: ‘Football is unpredictable'
Washington Spirit head coach Jonatan Giraldéz on Friday began his first press conference since the news of his midseason departure to lead OL Lyonnes by admitting the situation was 'not ideal.' As he gets set to coach his final three games in NWSL before moving to France, he encouraged fans and players 'keep working, keep supporting the team in the way that they were' last season when the Spirit made it to the NWSL Championship. Advertisement 'I am part of the group. I am not the most important guy,' Giraldéz said. 'I came here with a plan, probably to stay longer, but… in soccer things change so quick.' OL Lyonnes, like the Spirit, is one of three women's soccer clubs owned by Michele Kang under her expanding Kynisca Sports International organization. OL Lyonnes (formerly Olympique Lyonnais Féminin) is the most successful women's club in Europe, having won the UEFA Women's Champions League a record eight times. Giraldéz will start his job in Lyon on July 18. 'Coaching at a club like Lyon, training those players, will be a major step forward in my career,' he added. According to Giraldéz, as well as sources who previously described the move to , the organization only began approaching the coach with the opportunity after it became clear that former OL Lyonnes coach Joe Montemurro was leaving. Australia announced Montemurro as the next coach of their women's national team earlier this week. Advertisement 'From the organization, they thought that the first person to lead that project, it's me,' Giráldez said, describing the timeline for the changes. 'I have to say yes to lead that project, for sure. It's not about them, it's about us, all together, as an organization, owner, CEO and then the sporting director, and then the head coach has to decide something.' In addition to Kang's overlap of teams, Kynisca's global sporting director, Markel Zubizarreta, and Giraldéz worked together at the coach's previous club in Barcelona. Giraldéz will leave the Spirit in July and will bring two members of his coaching staff who came with him from Barcelona, fitness coach Andrés González and club analyst Toni Gordo, to Lyon. Giraldéz arrived in D.C. last summer from FC Barcelona Feminí, fresh off winning two UEFA Champions League titles with the Spanish powerhouse. When he left Barça in 2023, he made it clear he wasn't planning to stay in Europe, as he didn't want to risk facing his former club as a rival. However, OL Lyonnes and Barcelona are regular Champions League finalists. On Friday, Giraldéz explained that he would not go directly from Barcelona to a team that competed against them, but clarified he never ruled out a return to Europe. The stopover in Washington helps add distance. Advertisement 'When I left Barça, I said I didn't want to compete against them right after my departure, that's one of the reasons I came here,' Giraldéz said. 'But I'm 33 years old, and of course, Europe is still on the table. 'Also, I've said many times, we can't plan five years ahead in this sport. Football is unpredictable. I've lived it. You think you'll be in one place, and then everything changes.' Something that has been made clear by Kang's multi-club organization is that having assistant coach Adrián González waiting in the wings makes the transition more comfortable. Giraldéz said as much on Friday. Gonzalez, who was tasked with leading the Spirit through the first 15 games of the 2024 season, while Giraldéz finished the Champions League season with Barcelona, will take over the Spirit full-time again this summer. Advertisement 'We found that the best option for both sides was going to Lyonnes for the next season, and here (in Washington) they can keep continuing to build some things and be able to get a lot of trophies,' Giraldéz said. 'I don't think the team is going to have less chances to win because the same ideas are coming for the future.' One thing that has been consistent at Washington is inconsistency, especially when it comes to head coaches. The Spirit have had seven coaching changes since 2021, the year they won their first NWSL Championship. After players started catching word that Giraldéz might leave, via other players and agents, they held a players' only meeting, according to goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury. 'It wasn't a big shock just because, like I said, we heard of it, so maybe that was a little easier to take,' Kingsbury said. 'But we're very happy for Jona. We're happy for Adrian. Advertisement 'We've gone through a lot of transition. I think we're well-positioned for this one, because a lot of us have already worked with Adrian. Obviously, he's been here as an assistant coach, and a lot of us had him as a head coach. Yes, we're sad to see Jona go, but just very grateful for the time that we've had with him, the foundation he's laid, the competitiveness he's brought every day.' Despite the optics, Kang has emphasized to fans and players that the Spirit was her first investment in sports, which carries weight. Kingsbury and fellow veteran Ashley Hatch repeated that on Friday. The club limited questions, however, and did not make additional front office staff at Washington or Kynisca available to the media. Under Giraldéz, the Spirit finished second in the NWSL and made it to the championship, where they fell to the Orlando Pride. They won the Challenge Cup earlier this year, a one-off match between the two top finishers in NWSL from the year prior, and currently sit fourth in the league with a 6-3-1 record. 'I know there can be some noise around situations like this, but for me, this is all part of the game,' Giraldéz said. 'Football isn't about coaches, it's about players.' () This article originally appeared in The Athletic. Washington Spirit, NWSL, women's sports 2025 The Athletic Media Company
