As two English coaches meet in France - should more go abroad?
2025-02-15
Category: sports

As Thomas Tuchel prepares to become the third foreign manager to lead England men's football team, two young English coaches forging a name for themselves are set to meet this weekend in one of Europe's top leagues. Will Still and Liam Rosenior will go head-to-head on Sunday not in the Premier League, but in France's Ligue 1 when Lens host Strasbourg at the Stade Bollaert-Delilis.They are two of just six British coaches currently managing in Europe's top five leagues, the others all in the English top flight: Eddie Howe, David Moyes, Graham Potter and Kieran McKenna.This will be the second meeting between the pair, following a 2-2 draw in October when Strasbourg twice came from behind to earn a point."I think his Strasbourg team entertains people and people enjoy watching them in France," Still, 32, tells BBC Sport. "I know he's done really well and he did an unbelievable job at Hull and he's doing it again here."Rosenior was equally complimentary."He's got a really distinct style of play and he's very respected in this country so I'm looking forward to playing against him," says the 40-year-old."I would say tactically he's very strong. [They] gave us a really difficult game and I'm really looking forward to the next one."
Tuchel's appointment as England boss in 2024 was not universally welcomed and raised some important questions: why did the Football Association look overseas? And what does the German's appointment say about the pathways open to English and British managers at the highest levels of the game?The Premier League is the richest league in the sport, attracting the best talent both on and off the field. Yet when it comes to managers, there are only 20 jobs available.Still and Rosenior have followed strikingly different paths to earn their chances in the French top flight.Rosenior, who previously managed Derby County and Hull City, is a former pro turned coach, while Still became a head coach at the tender age of 24 in Belgium."I've always wanted to see what it was like," says Rosenior about coaching abroad. "I wasn't good enough for clubs abroad to want to take me as a player so to have this opportunity now I absolutely love."Strasbourg just seemed like a perfect fit, a great challenge for me and one I'm really enjoying."Still, who began his managerial career at Lierse, adds: "Ligue 1 is a big competition. It's tough."There are a lot of good teams. I know it's sort of looked down a bit but there are really good teams and really good coaches with great ideas."
Both Still and Rosenior are thriving but the fact there are so few British coaches operating in Europe's top five leagues suggests there is a problem.By contrast, Serie A features 16 Italian coaches, La Liga has 14 Spanish coaches, the Bundesliga has 10 German coaches and Ligue 1 has nine French coaches."[It's] the opportunities," says Still. "And by opportunities I mean: do we have enough coaches going through the badges? Are the badges accessible and easy to get on and once we've got the badges are there enough opportunities at clubs?"Does the outside world look at English coaches as a real option? There's a load of top Spanish coaches, top Portuguese coaches, top Dutch, German coaches but can we push that barrier as well?"Rosenior adds: "I look at the German model. They've got some outstanding young German coaches. We have one coaching our national team, which is fantastic."What you see - and this is over the last 10 years - is that they have younger coaches who have been given opportunities in the Bundesliga."They've been more exposed to that level earlier, so maybe that's something we can look at. But, for me, it's not about the nationality of a manager, it's about the qualities that they bring."With just 20 managerial spots available does the Premier League feel a bit of a closed shop?"Sometimes," says Still. "But it's difficult to sort of have a grasp or a proper sense of what the reality is."I don't know what those Premier League clubs are thinking. I don't know how they're working. I don't know what their next step in their recruitment process is."It's the best league in the world for a reason so you've got to be one of the best in the world and that's what I think we all aspire to do."Rosenior sees it somewhat differently."I think it depends on what your ultimate goal is," he says. "My ultimate goal isn't to be in the Premier League."I don't think football is a linear thing where you say, 'Right, I worked in the Championship, I'm going to go to the Premier League'."My ultimate goal is to be the best coach I can be and it's up to the decision makers at each football club to pick who they think the right coach is for their club."There was a time when few British players ventured overseas, but the numbers are growing season upon season. Should British coaches seek to do similar?"I think it's a great experience," says Still "I think learning about different cultures, different ways of playing the game, different opposition, different players. I'd definitely encourage it because you open yourself up to a lot more."Rosenior adds: "It's not for me to say to anyone where they should take their careers. And it's not about nationality. It's just about being the best person you can be and working as hard as you can every day."Both Rosenior and Still have worked exceptionally hard to get to where they are right now in their careers and the decisions they have made have set them on a collision course which will culminate, temporarily at least, at Lens' Stade Bollaert-Delelis on Sunday.