Stade de Reims interim manager William Still will remain in charge for the rest of the season despite costing the club a huge sum of money, according to L’Equipe.
The 30-year-old served as an assistant to former Reims manager Oscar Garcia until he took over temporarily following his departure last month.
Since coming into his new role, the Belgian has recorded an impressive six-match unbeaten run (W2, D4), taking his team up to the eleventh position in the Ligue 1 table.
His performances have impressed the club hierarchy, who will now pause their search for a permanent manager and allow Still to finish the season.
However, their decision will come at a cost, with the club having to pay a €25,000 fine for every game that Still takes charge of, as he does not have the required UEFA Pro Licence.
The Belgian is due his license next summer, but Reims will have to fork out a total of around €575,000 to keep him in his position until the end of the campaign.
Still took a degree at Myerscough College in England and went on to work with Preston North End’s under-14 team before moving to Belgium to work with Sint-Truiden, Lierse and Beerschot.
The former video gamer may be relatively new to the coaching scene, but he has made an excellent first impression in his second stint with Reims after briefly leaving to be the assistant boss of Standard Liege.
Having previously declared ambitions to coach in the Premier League and the Champions League, this new opportunity will provide him with the platform to make a name for himself.
Reims have not tasted defeat since their 3-0 loss to AS Monaco in September, and they head into the international break on the back of a 1-1 draw with Montpellier Herault.
With the club just four points above the relegation zone, they will need a positive result when they welcome Stade Rennais just three days after Christmas.
