Reims’ Will Still: “We aren’t afraid of anyone.”

Following Stade de Reims’ 2-1 win over Lille OSC on Tuesday night, a result that lifts the club to fifth in the Ligue 1 standings, manager Will Still said that his side “aren’t afraid of anyone.” 

Still took over from Óscar García last October, and proceeded to take Reims on a 19-game unbeaten run, which took the club from relegation candidates to an 11th-place finish. This season, they have three wins, one draw and two losses. His side were expansive in the first half of Tuesday’s victory against Lille. Summer signings Mohamed Daramy and Keito Nakamura both got on the scoresheet for Still’s side. Les Rémois were then defensively stout in the second half as they hung on for the win and bounced back from last weekend’s loss against table-topping Stade Brestois. 

Post-match, Still was full of praise for his side. “We didn’t have any sequence in the match where we switched off; that’s very positive. We saw Stade de Reims’ real side, the one that is capable of playing, of keeping to a game plan, of staying focused, of persevering. I can only be proud of my players. We’ve always said it: we aren’t afraid of anyone. We know we are capable of doing great things. Sometimes, our biggest opponent is ourselves,” said Still in a post-match press conference, transcribed by L’Équipe. Reims next face crisis club Olympique Lyonnais at the Stade August-Delaune II.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle