Will Still has hit out at claims about his swift RC Lens departure.
The Belgian-English coach announced he would be leaving the Ligue 1 side due to complications with his wife’s cancer diagnosis, wanting to return home to England.
Within just a week he was named as Southampton’s new manager in the Championship, with some social media speculation and reports that he’s agreed a deal with the club before, and he’d used his partner’s illness as an excuse to get out of his contract and away from Lens.
Still has now done an interview with French outlet La Voix du Nord in which he firmly denied those claims.
“There have been a lot of things said by a lot of people, and they’re not always very fair,” he said.
“I left Lens for personal and professional reasons. I did the job expected of me under unusual and sometimes complicated conditions on a personal level.
“I found a club the following week, even if people prefer to believe that I found this position well before leaving Lens.
“But yes, I’m happy because I can live with my family in a healthy environment and in an ambitious club that hopes to quickly return to the Premier League.
“I wasn’t unhappy at Lens, but it was difficult for reasons I’ve already explained.
“Finishing 8th with Lens after everything that happened during the season is quite admirable.”
Still also gave an update on his partner and thanked the club and fans for their support.
“She is doing better,” he added. “Thank you for the support I received; it meant a lot to me and did me a lot of good during some difficult times.
“Once again, I know people tried to make people believe things that weren’t true, but I had a great year at Lens.”
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