Will Still celebrates milestone match with Auxerre victory

AJ Auxerre secured a 3-1 victory against Le Havre on Sunday, October 19, 2026, at the Stade Océane, lifting the club to 12th place in the Ligue 1 standings and easing relegation concerns. The fixture marked a historic milestone for manager Will Still, who celebrated his 100th match as a head coach in France’s top flight at just 33 years and four days old.

Milestone Achieved in French Top Flight

Sunday’s fixture put Still in rare company across European football. Records show the Belgian coach reached the century mark in Ligue 1 faster than nearly anyone else this century, having previously led Stade de Reims and Racing Lens before taking charge at AJ Auxerre. Only Julian Nagelsmann reached the 100-match milestone at a younger age, when the German manager was 31 years and 179 days old.

The milestone arrived alongside a much-needed result for the Burgundy side. Auxerre collected its third win of the campaign and its second victory in three outings, creating vital separation from the relegation zone that the club targeted ahead of kickoff. Still noted that his squad finally delivered a complete 90-minute performance on the road.

I am very satisfied and particularly proud of the general performance of the team. We finally played well collectively and individually for ninety minutes, Still stated in remarks published by Morning Foot.

Clearing the Air After Television Criticism

The milestone week also brought a resolution to a high-profile war of words.

Maxime Chanot – Will Still, l’heure de l’explication a sonné.

— RMC Sport (@RMCsport) October 8, 2026

Rather than letting the friction linger, Still invited the player directly to the club’s training ground to observe his methods firsthand. Voetbalkrant reported that the face-to-face interaction smoothed over the tension, offering a transparent look at the daily technical operations, training workloads, and group management that dictate a manager’s work behind the scenes.

Upcoming Fixtures in the Ligue 1 Calendar

AJ Auxerre turns its attention to the next round of fixtures to defend its position in the table. The club returns to training ahead of its upcoming league commitments, aiming to build on the tactical cohesion displayed at Le Havre and maintain distance from the relegation places as the autumn schedule intensifies.