Will Still Reveals Fresh Details on Bristol City Discussions

Will Still Explains Why He Turned Down Bristol City for Auxerre

Will Still has revealed why he decided against taking the Bristol City job, admitting his instincts ultimately convinced him to return to French football instead.

The 33-year-old was among the candidates linked with the Robins following his departure from Southampton in November 2025. At the time, Bristol City were searching for a permanent successor after Gerhard Struber’s dismissal, with Roy Hodgson overseeing the team on an interim basis before Michael Skubala was appointed.

Still has now confirmed that discussions with Bristol City had progressed significantly, but he chose Auxerre after carefully weighing up his options.

Speaking to L’Equipe, the Belgian-born coach explained that he also held advanced talks with Lorient before following what he believed was the right path.

“I was at an advanced stage with other clubs, such as Lorient and Bristol City,” Still said.

“I told myself to trust my instincts. Auxerre is a club with a real human touch. I’d heard plenty of positive things about it.”

Still also dismissed suggestions that Auxerre was simply a backup choice after missing out on other opportunities. He revealed that he had interest from several clubs throughout the season, including Paris FC and Nantes, but deliberately waited until he found the project that suited him best.

The former Southampton manager built a strong reputation during his time in Ligue 1 with Reims and Lens before making the move to St Mary’s. However, his spell on the south coast proved short-lived, lasting just 16 matches before his exit.

Southampton recovered under Tonda Eckert, who guided the Saints to a fourth-place finish in the Championship, while Still has returned to France hoping to rebuild his reputation with Auxerre.

Bristol City, meanwhile, have moved forward under Michael Skubala. The former Lincoln City boss has been tasked with leading the Robins back into promotion contention after last season’s disappointing mid-table finish.

The club has backed Skubala in the transfer market with a number of arrivals, including Lorent Tolaj, Lisav Naif Eissat, Sam Greenwood, Jed Wallace, Brad Collins, Sam Tickle and Gibson Ya, as Bristol City prepare for the new Championship campaign with renewed optimism.