April 25th, 2026

By Friday night, six applications had landed on Julien’s desk for the vacant U19 Manager position. It was a role Julien took personally; he had insisted from day one that he alone would select the managers for the youth teams to ensure a unified tactical vision across the club. As he skimmed the first profile, his eyes stopped. The name was more than familiar: Nicolas Lüchinger.

Lüchinger was St. Gallen through and through. Coming from the club's own academy, he had played for the reserves between 2011 and 2014 before a stint in the lower leagues with Chiasso. In2016/17 he played for Sinon, then he returned home in 2017 and remained a loyal servant to St. Gallen until his retirement in 2023, though he has spent his last season on loan at Thun. Having hung up his boots at just 29, he had been working quietly as a coach within the U19 setup.

Julien didn't even bother opening the other five mails. He walked straight to the training pitch, and pulled Nicolas aside. Over an informal lunch, they talked for hours—not about contracts, but about theirs philosophy of the game. Julien saw a young coach perfect fit for his project.

"Why didn't you just ask me?" Julien asked with a grin as they finished their meal. "You should have spoken up sooner; we could have had this settled weeks ago." By the time they stood up from the table, the deal was done. Nicolas Lüchinger was no longer just an assistant; he was the new leader of St. Gallen’s future.

At this moment I've hit continue and a couple of days have passed. See you on:

Living in a Real-Time Save

Dear readers! I’m stepping out of the narrator’s role for a moment to speak to you as myself. 

Over the past decades, I’ve spent countless hours with Football Manager. Yet, a 'real-time save' like the one I’ve just started never even crossed my mind before. My original plan was to play this save, report every tiny detail to you, and meanwhile, grind through a completely different hardcore save whenever I had the chance. But guess what? It’s not working...

It’s like supporting your local team: you put on the jersey and the scarf—even in the heat of summer—and walk to the stadium. Whether they win or lose doesn't even matter. You are part of the team, and the team is part of you. St. Gallen hasn't played under Julien for two weeks now, and I’m genuinely anxious for that Lausanne match. 

I try starting other saves, but I can’t even make it to the first league game. My thoughts are always elsewhere, wondering what’s next for Julien and St. Gallen. In other games, I’d just speed through, giving bland interview answers and avoiding player conflicts, but then I think: Julien definitely wouldn't be such a pushover. Since I started this journey, I haven't been able to get past a single summer in any other save.

Maybe this is how the game was meant to be played. ONE REAL-TIME SEASON in every edition. You can’t experience its full depth any other way. I think I’ve found the final save of my life. This is it. And when Julien finally retires, in maybe 20 or 25 years, I might just post a picture of myself here—as a wrinkled grandfather.

I hope you’re looking forward to what’s next as much as I am!

"Je suis Julien Gauthier!"

April 27th, 2026

Sunday had passed in a quiet, domestic rhythm, the only highlight being the long video call with Laura and the children. Laura asked about the house hunting, as she was eager to start putting down roots, but Julien remained steadfast. He wanted to see how the first one or two playoff matches unfolded first.

HMonday morning, he made sure to have his coffee at the hotel before even stepping foot in the office (considering his experience with the coffee machine at the stadium).

He kicked off the work week with a meeting with Renato Fusco, the club’s Loan Manager. The news was exceptionally positive. Gentrit Muslija, the young goalkeeper Julien had highlighted as a potential third-choice for next season, had put in a "Player of the Match" performance for FC Wil. His clean sheet was instrumental in a 2-0 victory, a result that finally lifted Wil off the bottom of the Challenge League table.

But the good news didn't stop there. Nino Weibel had also excelled during his time at Weesen, earning his own Player of the Match award. Furthermore, Julien’s interest was piqued by the continued form of Konrad Faber at Dynamo Dresden. The German fullback was maintaining a high standard in the 2. Bundesliga, further solidifying Julien’s plan to integrate him into the first-team squad come summer. The puzzle pieces of the future were starting to click into place.

After his meeting with Fusco, Julien headed straight to the training ground, spending the entire day with the squad. It was only late in the afternoon, that he finally sat down to check the scouting report on their next opponent: FC Lausanne-Sport.

Two specific details in the report immediately caught his analytical eye. First, Lausanne appeared remarkably disciplined during set-pieces; they neither scored nor conceded many goals from dead-ball situations. Second: while Lausanne faced a high volume of shots per game, they conceded very few goals from them.

Julien leaned back, processing the data. The conclusion for the weekend was clear. He realized that trying to win the game through set-pieces would likely be a futile effort. Instead, he wanted his team to focus on patient, intricate build-up play. "We don't just shoot for the sake of shooting," he noted. He decided to instruct his players to work the ball into the box and wait for high-quality opportunities rather than forcing long-range efforts that would only play into Lausanne’s defensive strengths. Precision over volume—that would be the mantra for the Lausanne clash.

To counter Lausanne’s preferred 4-2-3-1 DM AM Wide formation, Julien’s mind was already set on a 4-3-3 system for the upcoming clash. He felt that the three-man midfield would provide the necessary coverage to nullify their creative threats while allowing his wingers to exploit the spaces behind Lausanne’s advancing fullbacks. However, he didn't want to finalize the on his own. He made a note to bring this tactical shift to the table during the next staff meeting. He wanted to hear Fritz Schmid’s take on the defensive transitions. For Julien, a successful game plan wasn't just about his own vision.

 Julien took the slow walk back to the hotel. After a solitary dinner in the restaurant, he retreated to his room and started watching the Netflix series Unchosen. But as the episodes rolled by, his mind kept drifting away from the screen. For the first time since arriving in St. Gallen, he admitted to himself that Laura might be right. The novelty of hotel life had long since worn off. He was tired of the anonymous corridors, the same breakfast buffet, and the lack of a place that truly felt like his own. But what if the playoff won't go that well - he thought.

At this moment I've hit continue and a day has passed. See you on:

April 29th, 2026

Tuesday morning at the club  was relatively quiet. Julien’s schedule was light on administrative duties, dominated primarily by a single briefing. He sat down with the physio, Stephan Oberli, to review the squad’s overall fitness levels ahead of the upcoming fixtures. The news from the medical department was largely positive. Oberli confirmed that the treatment room was nearly empty, with only one name currently on the injury list. Carlo Boukhalfa is currently sidelined, dealing with a minor bruised ankle. Gauthier was reassured to hear that the injury is not serious; Boukhalfa is expected to return to full training within the next 48 hours, he will be fully fit and available for selection for the match this weekend. For Julien, having a complete squad to choose from is a vital boost as he continues to implement his tactical vision.

Julien spent the best part of the day on the training pitch. In a move that has become a trademark of his hands-on approach, he didn’t just watch from the sidelines; he joined the drills himself, feeling the grass under his feet and the intensity of the session. While Assistant Manager Schmid took charge of leading the tactical exercises, Gauthier’s presence among the players served as a silent motivator, maintaining the high standards he expects from the group. Later in the afternoon, the team joined Julien in the video room. However, Gauthier found his concentration wavering. While the immediate focus should have been on Saturday’s trip to Lausanne, his mind kept drifting toward the daunting schedule ahead. With two matches to be played in a week during the playoffs, the looming fixtures against league leaders Basel on Tuesday and second-placed Young Boys the following Saturday weighed heavily on his subconscious. The temptation to rotate the squad against 6th-placed Lausanne was strong. Fresh legs will be a premium in the coming ten days, and the risk of burnout is real. 

Yet, Gauthier quickly dismissed the thought of over-calculating. This match is arguably the only "must-win" fixture left on the calendar. He knew all too well that if he gambled by resting key players and it backfired, his future in St. Gallen would become very uncertain. For now, the match against Lausanne is the most important; the rest will have to wait.

At this moment I've hit continue and a day has passed. See you on:

April 30th, 2026

The final morning of April began with a crisp air in St. Gallen. Julien Gauthier, following his ritual, stepped out of the hotel after breakfast with a takeaway coffee in hand. By the time he reached his office, the cup was empty—a signal that the work day had officially begun.

Before heading out to the training pitches, Julien sat at his desk to scan through his morning emails. One notification stood out: the Board’s briefing for the upcoming trip to the Stade de la Tuilière. Gauthier was still surprised by the pragmatic tone of his superiors. While the St. Gallen board is secretly hoping for a victory against Lausanne, they explicitly acknowledged that the opposition are the favorites for a reason.

However, the "Voice of the Board" carried a clear message regarding the team's identity. They aren't just looking for points; they are eager to be "spoiled" by exciting attacking football (which Julien is not planning to play this weekend) and a high-intensity pressing style. For Julien, this is both a relief and a challenge. The board understands the difficulty of the fixture, but they demand a performance that reflects his tactical philosophy. 

The quiet of the office allowed Julien a moment to look beyond the immediate pressure of the Lausanne match. He pulled up the squad depth chart on his screen, focusing on the Attacking Midfield position. It was a sobering sight. On paper, he had three options, but the reality was different.

Shkëlqim Vladi is on loan from Lugano and he was mainly used as a striker. Then there is Carlo Boukhalfa, whom Julien increasingly sees as a pillar for the central midfield next season—his energy is needed deeper in the engine room, not as a creative #10. That leaves Lukas Daschner. While Daschner possesses the technical quality the board craves, Julien’s gut instinct has been telling him otherwise. A few days ago, he had marked Daschner’s name for a potential summer exit to balance the books or refresh the squad’s hunger. Staring at the screen, Julien opened his notebook and scrawled a note:

HIGH PRIORITY: Bring in 1 attacking midfielder (2 if Daschner is sold).

The realization hit him hard. He wasn't just looking for a player; he was looking for the heart of his future offensive system. Without a new creative engine, the "exciting attacking football" the board demands would remain nothing more than a PowerPoint presentation.

Julien was just stepping out of his office, his mind already drifting to the tactical drills on the pitch, when a resonant female voice pulled him back to reality.

"Pre-match press conference, tomorrow morning at 9:00," announced Elena Meçe, the club’s Press Officer. She didn't wait for a confirmation; she simply paused long enough to add a pointed directive: "And dress properly." With that, she turned on her heel. The sharp, rhythmic clicking of her high heels echoed down the corridor, gradually fading as she disappeared around the corner. Julien watched her go. In a way, he felt fortunate that she hadn't been hovering around constantly over the last three weeks. Her efficiency was undeniable, but her presence always served as a reminder that being a manager was as much about public relations as it was about football.

May 1st, 2026

The next morning, Julien arrived at the stadium with a sense of quiet discipline. As he entered the media room for the pre-match press conference, he was accompanied by his trusted Assistant Manager, Fritz Schmid. As they took their seats, Julien caught the eye of Elena Meçe. She offered him a nod of approval—a satisfied glance that confirmed he had, indeed, "dressed properly" for the occasion. Her silent validation was a small victory before the first question was even asked.

The room wasn't packed. Five journalists sat in front of them, notebooks open and recorders ready. While the turnout was modest, these were the local reporters who knew the club best—the ones who would dissect every word Julien said about the Lausanne clash and the high-stakes playoff race. For Gauthier, the game had already begun; it was time to defend his vision as fiercely as his players would defend the pitch on Saturday.

The first question from the floor was as predictable as it was frustrating. A journalist leaned forward, asking about St. Gallen’s title chances now that the playoffs were finally beginning. Julien felt a surge of irritation. He wanted to snap back, to tell them to focus on the immediate hurdle of Lausanne instead of chasing the title. The table didn't lie: five games remained, and they sat in 4th place, trailing the league leaders, Basel, by seven points. While it was mathematically possible, the reality of overtaking three teams in such a short sprint was slim to none.

'What the hell am I supposed to say to that?' Julien thought to himself, maintaining a mask of professional calm.

He didn't take the bait. Instead, he deflected the question with the practiced ease of a veteran. He spoke about taking it one game at a time, emphasizing that their only priority was the three points available on Saturday. He made it clear that dreaming of trophies was for the fans; his job was to ensure the players didn't lose sight of the grass beneath their feet. By the time he finished his answer, he had successfully steered the conversation back to the reality of the Stade de la Tuilière, leaving the title talk to the headlines.

The focus shifted to Alessandro Vogt. At just 21, the academy graduate had been in sensational form. For Julien, this was a topic he actually enjoyed discussing.. He acknowledged Vogt's work rate and recent form. However, Julien was also acutely aware of the pitfalls of hype. "Alessandro is a remarkable talent, and his progress is a testament to the work done at our academy," Julien told the room, his tone measured. "But we must remember he is still developing. My job is to give him the space to grow without the weight of the entire world on his shoulders." By publicly praising Vogt while simultaneously acting as his shield, Gauthier managed to satisfy the press's hunger for a hero story without letting the pressure boil over. 

The last few questions turned toward the opposition. The journalists were keen to get Julien’s take on specific Lausanne players and whether he harbored any genuine fear of the trip to the Stade de la Tuilière. He spoke with respect for their recent form but quickly shifted the narrative back to his own players' preparations. He refused to single out individuals. As the final recorder was switched off, Julien stood up, offering a professional nod to the room. Elena Meçe stood by the door, her expression unreadable but her posture suggesting the job was well done. The talk was finally over. Now, the only thing left for Julien and his squad was to let their football do the talking on Saturday afternoon.

As soon as the press conference ended, Julien and Fritz Schmid made a swift exit, heading straight for the privacy of the manager’s office. This was precisely why Gauthier had insisted on Schmid joining him in front of the media; their collaboration didn't end with public relations—it was the core of the team’s tactical identity. Safely behind closed doors, Julien laid out the blueprints he had been refining for the trip to Lausanne. He outlined his vision for a 4-3-3 DM Wide formation. It was a setup designed for control and flexibility. "When we have the ball, we dictate the tempo," Julien explained, gesturing to the tactical board. "But the key is our transition. Out of possession, I want us to drop into a rigid 4-1-4-1." Schmid agreed. He understood the logic: the defensive midfielder would act as the anchor, shielding the back four and filling the gaps, while the four-man line in front would provide a compact block to frustrate Lausanne’s creative outlets. It was a pragmatic yet ambitious plan, and with his assistant’s full backing, Julien felt a renewed confidence in the strategy. The blueprint was set; now it was just a matter of execution.

Julien and Schmid finalized the starting eleven.

The midfield had to be reshuffled as Carlo Boukhalfa had to start on the bench because of his recent ankle ijury. Julien needed him for the Basel match. The defensive line also required a change due to Vandermersch’s suspension. His absence on the right flank was a significant blow, but Julien decided to put his faith in Fabio Fehr. It is a massive opportunity for Fehr to prove he can step up (especially as Julien is planning with him as a third choice full back both on the left and the right side of the pitch)  in a "must-win" playoff scenario. With Vogt leading the line and a stabilized midfield trio of Neziri, Görtler, and Fazliji, the plan was set. All that remained was the journey to Lausanne and the hope that these tactical pivots would survive the heat of the Stade de la Tuilière.

 Julien added two critical tactical instructions based on the oppositon report he received a couple of days before. First, he demanded the players keep the ball in play, avoiding unnecessary stoppages and refusing to rely on set-pieces. He wanted a rhythmic, continuous flow that would keep Lausanne under constant pressure. Secondly, he emphasized the need to work the ball into the box. Rather than settling for speculative long-range efforts, Gauthier instructed his creative players to remain patient, looking for that final, incisive pass to create the highest quality scoring chances. With these final additions, the tactical package was complete.

After a collective team lunch at noon, the St. Gallen squad boarded the  coach for the four-hour journey to Lausanne. The atmosphere on the bus was surprisingly light and optimistic; the players were sharing jokes and music, seemingly unfazed by the immense pressure of the starting playoffs. Julien, however, found it harder to relax. Midway through the journey, a notification pinged on his phone. It was a message from Elena Meçe, containing a transcript of Peter Zeidler’s pre-match comments. When asked about facing a "relatively inexperienced newcomer" like Gauthier, the Lausanne boss had responded: "I don't really know what to expect, it's part of the charm of football isn't it?"  If Zeidler truly didn't know what to expect, Julien was more determined than ever to show him exactly what a "newcomer" is capable of. By the time the bus pulled into Lausanne, the annoyance had transformed into a cold, focused resolve.

At this moment I've hit continue, and a day has passed. See you on the next matchday (which we will play on the 3rd - so a day later this time):

May 2nd, 2026

Matchday at the Stade de la Tuilière, Lausanne

Matchday in Lausanne began with a disciplined routine. The squad gathered for a collective breakfast at the hotel. In the morning they had a rest before they shared a light lunch and went to the standium. When they arrived, Julien led the team onto the pitch for a light warm-up session. It was more about feeling the turf and acclimating to the surroundings than physical exertion. Every single player he had selected for the matchday squad was fully fit and ready to go. No last-minute injuries, no late illnesses.

In the moments before kick-off, Julien kept his message brief and professional, wishing the squad luck as they made their way out of the tunnel.  It was time to see if his St. Gallen side could silence Zeidler's doubts and the Lausanne crowd. As expected, Lausanne lined up in a 4-2-3-1, looking to exploit the spaces between Gauthier’s lines. However, Julien’s blueprint seemed to be working perfectly from the first whistle; St. Gallen dominated the early exchanges, moving the ball with the precision he had demanded. But in the 20th minute, the stadium erupted as Lausanne’s striker, Bair found the back of the net with a powerful strike. Julien felt a momentary knot in his stomach—the "must-win" pressure suddenly feeling very real. However, the celebrations were short-lived. The linesman’s flag was up, and the goal was disallowed for offside. It was a massive let-off for St. Gallen and a wake-up call for the defense. Julien immediately stepped to the edge of his technical area, gesturing for his players to maintain their focus. They were the better side on the pitch, creating more chances and controlling the tempo, but Bair's disallowed effort proved that one lapse in concentration could undo all their hard work. The score remained 0-0, but the intensity had just moved to a whole new level.

The relief of the disallowed goal hadn't even faded when St. Gallen struck back with clinical precision. In the 24th minute, Fabio Fehr—the man Julien had trusted to fill the void on the right—stepped up to take a corner from the left. His delivery was headed out of the box by a desperate Lausanne defense, but only as far as Christian Witzig. He didn't hesitate, spotting Alessandro Vogt lurking at the edge of the area. With a sharp pass, he found the young striker, who cut inside, took a composed touch, and unleashed a magnificent curling shot into the top far corner. 0-1! The St. Gallen bench erupted. The lead, however, brought a tactical challenge. Baldé had to be withdrawn due to an injury, forcing a reshuffle. Julien sent on Ouattara, who took his place and swapped places with Witzig. Despite the change, St. Gallen maintained their composure. For the remainder of the half, they dictated the play, keeping the ball exactly as Julien had instructed in the "Work Ball Into Box" plan. Lausanne struggled to regain their footing, and as the referee blew for half-time, Julien and the team headed down the tunnel with a deserved lead.

He told his players before they headed back out to continue exactly like this. And the players did just that! Just minutes into the second half after a fluid, team play that led through the Lausanne midfield Lukas Görtler, picked up the ball and delivered a great pass to Ouattara. The substitute didn't waste the opportunity, finishing clinically from close range to make it 0-2.

In the 73rd minute. Lausanne’s Ajdini managed to break free on the left wing, surging past Fehr before sending a low, dangerous cross into the six-yard box. Gotbub was there to tap it in from close range, making it 1-2. The crowd at the Stade de la Tuilière found their voice again. Julien reacted instantly. He refused to let the game slip away, making a double substitution to regain control of the engine room. Konietzke came on for Fazliji to provide fresh energy in the defensive pivot, while the returning Carlo Boukhalfa replaced Neziri.

The impact was immediate. Just minutes later, a chaotic scramble erupted at the edge of the Lausanne penalty area. It was the substitute Boukhalfa who showed the coolest head, poking a clever pass through to Ouattara. The winger, having the game of his life, didn't hesitate; from 20 meters out, he unleashed a low, driven shot. The keeper dived the right way, but he couldn't reach the ball. 1-3!

The goal took the wind out of Lausanne’s sails. St. Gallen saw out the remainder of the match with professional composure. As the final whistle blew, Julien allowed himself a satisfied smile. The playoffs had begun in the best possible way.

Baldé, who had to be substituted early in the first half, has been diagnosed with sprained ankle ligaments. The physio’s verdict is clear: 7 to 12 days on the sidelines. He can possibly miss three of the four remaining games.

The post-match press conference was as much about Julien’s mind as it was about the goals. The journalists immediately focused on his tactical fluidity—St. Gallen had fielded three different starting lineups in the last three matches. Julien was calm and clinical in his response: ". Every opponent presents a different puzzle, and it’s my job to find the right pieces to solve it." When the topic shifted to Ouattara’s stunning brace from the bench, Julien’s eyes lit up. He admitted he was "deeply impressed" by the winger’s impact, acknowledging that such performances make a manager’s life both easier and harder when it comes to future selections.

However, the atmosphere turned cold when a reporter brought up Peter Zeidler. They pressed Julien on the Lausanne manager’s pre-match dismissiveness. Perhaps fueled by the adrenaline of the win or a lingering sense of disrespect, Julien opted for brutal honesty instead of the usual clichés.

"To be perfectly honest," Gauthier said, leaning into the microphone, "we aren't exactly friends."

The room went silent for a heartbeat. It was the kind of quote headline-writers dream of, but in the corner of the room, Elena Meçe didn't look pleased. Later, as they left the media center, she offered no praise for his handling of the press. Her silence spoke volumes: in her world, Julien had just handed the media a weapon that could be used against him later. For Julien, however, it was a moment of standing his ground. He had won both on and off the pitch

The Young Boys vs. Servette match is still to be played tomorrow early afternoon, but the table looks more promising than ever:

Following the post-match media duties and the team returned to their hotel in Lausanne for the night. They've only trevelled back to St. Gallen the next morning.

At this moment I've hit continue and a couple of days have passed. See you on:

May 3rd, 2026

Sunday morning, the team bus finally rolled into the Kybunpark. While the players headed home for some well-deserved rest, Julien Gauthier and Fritz Schmid had a different destination. They walked straight to the manager’s office, the silence of the stadium a stark contrast to the tactical battle already brewing in their minds. With the clash against Basel looming on Tuesday, there was no time for a break.

Settling behind his desk, Julien opened the scouting reports and analytical data provided by his staff. For hours, he and Schmid dissected Basel's recent performances, searching for a pattern, a weakness, or a statistical outlier they could exploit. However, the more they looked, the more frustrated they became.

"It’s not like the other teams we faced" Julien said. "There isn't one specific metric where they dominate. They aren't just 'faster' or 'better at set-pieces'."

As they went through the player profiles, the realization hit them both: Basel’s strength didn't lie in a single tactic, but in their sheer quality. Across every position, from the goalkeeper to the frontline, the league leaders simply represented a class above the rest of the Swiss league. They were a team of individuals capable of deciding a game in a split second, combined into a well-oiled machine. For Julien, this was the ultimate challenge. He wasn't just preparing for a game; he was trying to figure out how to stop a force that was better almost everywhere on the pitch.

After hours of intense analysis, Julien and Schmid finally identified the cracks in Basel’s armor. All signs pointed to the league leaders will use a 4-2-3-1 formation with a high defensive line. The data suggested a clear pattern: Basel relies heavily on crosses, flooding the box to create headed opportunities. However, the statistics also revealed a weakness—their efficiency in converting those headers was surprisingly low. "If we can control the air in our own box, we can survive their pressure," Julien noted, circling the defensive stats.

The conversation then turned to the biggest threat: Xherdan Shaqiri. At 34, the former Liverpool star and 125-time Swiss international remains the heartbeat of this Basel side. As their central attacking midfielder, everything flows through him. Julien knew that if they could disconnect Shaqiri from the rest of the team, Basel’s machine would start to stall.

Ultimately, Julien and Schmid decided to stick with the 4-3-3 DM system that proved so effective against Lausanne. They were aware that playing such a disciplined, counter-attacking style at home might not be the most popular choice with the Kybunpark faithful, who always crave dominant football. However, Gauthier was convinced it was the path to a result. The plan was clear: use the deep-lying midfield to suffocate Shaqiri’s space and then use quick, incisive passing to bypass Basel’s high defensive line. It is a gamble on pragmatism over flair, but Julien is ready to trade style for points against the best in the country.

In the meantime, the final result from the weekend’s other marquee fixture arrived. The clash between Young Boys and Servette ended in a  2–2 draw. For St. Gallen, it was the perfect outcome.  After week 34, Julien Gauthier’s side has not only solidified its grip on 4th place but has also moved within striking distance of the top three. With both rivals dropping points, the gap to the 2nd and 3rd spots has shrunk to just three points.

Julien called his family from his soulless hotel room that evening. The video call with Laura and the kids was the cherry on the cake after a successful weekend. There was a new sense of certainty in Julien’s voice as he spoke to his wife. The successful start to the playoffs had given him a confidence that went beyond football. He reassured Laura that the "hotel life" was nearing its end. "After the Basel game," he promised her, "the house hunting begins."

Following the team’s impressive run and their seemingly solid position in the top four, Julien felt a deep conviction that they would be spending the next season—and hopefully many more—in this city. The news of the house hunt sparked an immediate wave of excitement through the small screen of Julien’s laptop. Laura’s relieved smile was mirrored by the children; Camille and Louis could hardly contain their enthusiasm. For Camille, it meant the possibility of a permanent space to call her own, while young Louis was already imagining a yard where he could practice the drills he saw his father’s players perform at the Kybunpark.

May 4th, 2026

Monday morning in his office Julien and Fritz Schmid sat huddled over the squad sheets, finalizing the starting eleven for the match against Basel. While the overall system remained consistent, there were 3 changes to the starting lineup. The biggest boost came from the return of Vandermersch. Having served his suspension, he immediately reclaimed his spot at right-back, providing the defensive solidity Julien so desperately needed. This move allowed Fabio Fehr, who had performed admirably in Lausanne, to push forward into the right-wing position, replacing the injured Baldé. It was a calculated gamble, hoping Fehr could replicate his creative spark further up the pitch. In the heart of the midfield Boukhalfa was handed a starting role in place of Neziri, his physicality deemed essential for the battle in the engine room and the primary task of disrupting Shaqiri’s influence. As for the striker position, the decision was made for them: with Albian Ajeti ineligible to play against his parent club, the 21-year-old Alessandro Vogt kept his place.

As their session ended, the assistant manager suggested it might be the right time for a formal team meeting. He felt the squad needed to be told the magnitude of the Basel clash to sharpen their focus. Julien, however, politely declined.

"Three games, three wins, Fritz," Julien said calmly. "The machine is working. If we start treating this like the 'game of the century,' we risk tightening their muscles before the whistle even blows."

With four games still remaining in the playoffs, he knew that the "most important match of the year" label could be applied to almost any of them. He wanted to save that emotional card for a moment of genuine crisis or a definitive final hurdle. For now, he preferred the routine. He wanted his players to step onto the Kybunpark turf on Tuesday believing that beating the league leaders was just another day at the office—a part of the natural order of their current form.

Just as Julien and Schmid were about to wrap up their tactical briefing, a sharp, familiar knock echoed through the door. Before Julien could even answer, Elena Meçe swept into the room, her expression a mix of professional urgency and practiced exasperation.

"Press conference! Now!" she announced, her eyes already scanning the room for signs of readiness.

Julien stared at her, completely blindsided. "What? Now? You never told me!" He gestured wildly at his club tracksuit.

Elena didn't blink. "When was I supposed to tell you? You should check your emails more often, Julien" She checked her watch with a clinical efficiency. "But I knew you'd forget. Your suit will be here any second. You have exactly twenty minutes to look like a top-flight manager again."

Despite the frantic rush to change, Julien stepped into the press room looking every bit the professional Elena demanded. The familiar faces of five journalists stared back at him, their laptops open and pens poised. The atmosphere was a strange mix of encouragement and skepticism, reflecting the high stakes of the upcoming clash.

The opening question focused on St. Gallen’s flawless start under Gauthier. Julien leaned into the microphone, his voice steady. "The team is clearly on an upward trajectory," he told Juan Felipe Martínez from 4-4-2.com, who seemed encouraged by the answer. "The momentum is with us, and my sole focus is ensuring we maintain this level of performance through the final sprint of the season."

However, the tone shifted when the conversation turned to the league leaders. Benjamin Damaz from ZWÖLF and Sebastian Rickenbacher were quick to point out that on paper, Basel are the overwhelming favorites for the three points at the Kybunpark. Julien chose his words carefully, offering a  reply about respecting the opponent while focusing on his own tactical setup. This deflection didn't sit well with everyone.

The atmosphere in the room, already thick with tactical speculation, took a sharp turn toward the transfer market. Veton Müller leaned forward, his eyes locked on Julien. "Reports are circulating that St. Gallen has intensified its scouting of Severin Ottiger from Luzern. Can you confirm if he is a primary target for your summer rebuild?" Julien felt a jolt of genuine surprise. He hadn't expected a specific name to be dropped. He glanced momentarily at Elena, who remained characteristically stoic, before turning back to the reporter. Julien didn't answer to any transfer stories, and he tried to focus on the game, however he didn't have any plans about this player.

"Not bad," Elena remarked as they stepped out of the of the media lights. It was perhaps the closest thing to a compliment Julien had received from her. "From now on, it’s best if you leave a few of your suits here at the stadium. I’ll see to it that they are cleaned and ready whenever you need them." She offered a rare, subtle wink before turning on her heel and disappearing down the corridor.

Julien stood there for a moment, slightly taken by surprise by the gesture. It seemed that even the formidable Elena Meçe was starting to believe that Gauthier was here to stay.

But there was no time to dwell on wardrobe logistics. In the home dressing room, the atmosphere was already electric. The list for tomorrow’s match squad had been pinned to the board, and the players were huddled around it, searching for their names. Julien didn't stop to talk; he headed straight for the pitch for the final afternoon training session.

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May 5th, 2026

Matchday at the Kybunpark, St. Gallen

After finishing his breakfast at the hotel, Julien returned to his room to review the latest report from Loan Manager Renato Fusco on his laptop. A few weeks ago, he had placed a question mark next to Konrad Faber’s name—who is currently maintaining an average rating above 7.0 at Dynamo Dresden—considering him as a potential squad member to provide depth behind Vandermersch on the right side of the defense. The rest of the day passed quietly. Later, Laura sent a photo of little Louis, who headed off to school this morning proudly wearing his St. Gallen scarf.

The countdown to kick-off at the Kybunpark began in the late afternoon. Julien arrived at the stadium at 5:00 PM. The players arrived an hour later for one final briefing about the tactics he planned with Schmid the day before.

Everyone Julien had selected for the matchday squad was 100% fit.

For the neutral observer, the match at Kybunpark were arguably forgettable, but for Julien, it was a masterpiece tactical discipline. His players did everything he asked from them. Nothing has happened int the first 25 minutes, then the teams started to act as if they were playing a football match.

In the 29th minute, everything has changed. A sharp combination play on the right between Vandermersch and Boukhalfa tore a sudden hole in Basel’s high line. Boukhalfa, showing the vision Julien had praised in training, slipped a perfectly weighted low ball through to Alessandro Vogt. The young striker didn't blink; he burst into the box, cut inside his marker, and buried a clinical shot into the bottom far corner. 1-0! The lead was nearly short-lived. Just sixty seconds later, a chaotic scramble inside the St. Gallen penalty area saw the ball ricochet toward the goal, only to be denied by the woodwork. It was the wake-up call Julien’s men needed. The final fifteen minutes of the half turned frantic. Basel pushed desperately for an equalizer, but every time they went forward, they were haunted by St. Gallen’s long balls on the counter. Gauthier’s side refused to be pinned down, and as the referee blew for half-time, the underdog held the lead.

In the quiet of the dressing room at half-time, Julien’s message was a simple reinforcement of the plan: "Keep the discipline. Don't give them an inch." He knew Basel would come out swinging, and they did, dominating possession for much of the second half. But it was a hollow dominance. St. Gallen’s defensive block remained impenetrable, forcing the league leaders into sideways passes and hopeless long balls. In the 56th minute, he introduced Neziri for Fazliji to refresh the energy in midfield. Ten minutes later, he brought on Ouattara to replace a tiring Fabio Fehr, hoping to use the substitute’s pace to keep Basel’s defense on their toes. These were the only adjustments he needed; the machine was working perfectly. As the minutes ticked away, the frustration on the Basel bench was visible, while the Kybunpark crowd roared with every intercepted pass. When the final whistle eventually blew, the score remained 1-0. Julien took a deep breath, adjusted his suit jacket, and walked onto the pitch to congratulate his players individually. They hadn't just won three points; they had sent a message to the entire league. Gauthier had masterminded a tactical shutout against the very best.

The post-match press conference was, quite frankly, as uneventful as the tactical grind on the pitch. Hollow answers to equally hollow questions. He played the role of the professional diplomat to perfection, revealing nothing of the tactical pride swelling inside him. Elena looked on with a neutral expression; for once, Julien had navigated the media without a single controversial headline.

In the other games of the weekend, Young Boys had managed to overcome Luzern, moving them to within a single point of the league leaders, Basel. Servette, lost against Lausanne.

St. Gallen is now level on points with 3rd-placed Servette (57 pts) and just three points behind Young Boys.

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May 7th, 2026

Wednesday was a day of quiet recovery. After the Basel victory, the squad went through a light recovery session in the morning. Julien, however, was already back in "scout mode." Scanning through his emails, his eyes caught a message from Elena Meçe. It was the official Team of the Week announcement. The standout performer was Randy Schneider from Winterthur (playing in the relegation playoffs).

 Julien pulled up Schneider’s profile on his laptop—a 24-year-old with impressive technical flair and the work rate to match. He noted Schneider's composure and teamwork; traits that would fit perfectly into the St. Gallen engine room if a spot were to open up this summer.

As a precaution, Julien pulled out his notebook and added a new entry under the "Potential Transfers" list: 

Randy Schneider (Winterthur) - Scouting Priority

As Gauthier dug deeper into the player’s history, he realized there was a story there. Schneider, despite being an 8-time international for the Philippines, was a product of the Swiss football system, having come through the renowned Grasshoppers academy. He even had a history with the Green and Whites. Schneider had already worn the St. Gallen shirt during the 2022/23 season. He knew the corridors of the Kybunpark, and the expectations of the fans.

On Thursday, Julien and Fritz Schmid spent the morning studying the data provided by Jonas Maier. The screen confirmed what everyone in Switzerland already knew, but seeing the numbers made it even more daunting. Young Boys are the outliers of the Super League: Aggressive and Clinical. They don't only have significantly more shots per match than any other team, but their conversion rate is among the highest in the division. Considering they are the league's top scorers and currently sit in second place, there's not much surprise there.

"You don't need to be a tactical genius to see the threat," Schmid remarked. "They don't just shoot; they score. If we give them the same space we gave Basel in the first twenty minutes, we won't get away with a clean sheet this time."

While the offensive power of Young Boys is intimidating, Julien and Fritz Schmid stumbled upon a fascinating paradox in the data. Marvin Keller, the YB goalkeeper, sits at the top of the charts for both saves/90 mins and save percentage. At first glance, this seemed like bad news—a wall between the posts. But Gauthier saw it differently.

"If Keller is making that many saves," Julien pointed out, tapping the screen, "it means their defense is letting a massive amount of shots through. They aren't unbeatable; they are just being bailed out by their keeper."

This realization changed the tone of the meeting. The YB defensive line, likely pushed high to support their aggressive attack, leaves gaps that can be exploited. Julien faced a choice: should he instruct his players to test Keller from distance or stick to the patient "Work Ball Into Box" approach to find the one shot he can't save? For now, the decision is one of stability. They have decided not to change the 4-3-3 formation. Everything else will be decided next morning after todays's training sessions.

Julien was still amazed by the board's realistic assessment of the situation, but regardless, he continued to prepare his team for victory.

Julien has also spent browsing local real estate listings these days. The Le Havre house officially on the market and Julien during his playing career managed to save about 5 million euros, and since then, the family has been living off his salary from his various assistant manager roles, they didn't really have to worry about the prices, still he was not happy. At first glance, it seems that a home the family would happily move into could cost well above 1 million CHF.

Julien stared at the property listings, a calculator open next to his tactical notes. While his playing career had gifted him a 5-million-euro safety net, his current reality at St. Gallen was more modest. His contract earned him £1,800 a week—a solid salary, but in one of the world’s most expensive countries, it demanded a grounded approach to life.  “I'll probably have to renegotiate it soon” - he thought.

“Alright, we’ll get maybe 500,000 or 600,000 euros for the house in Le Havre. How much is that? Let's say bout 450-500,000 CHF. Why can’t these people just pay in euros here... Fine, let’s add one million euros from the savings to that—surely that has to be enough for a house” . Julien figured they wouldn't live anywhere more expensive than this anyway; wherever they go next, the value of this home will be more than enough for a new place years from now, wherever his managerial career takes him.

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May 8th, 2026

In the morning, before his meeting with Schmid, Julien scanned through his emails. All signs pointed to an immense level of interest surrounding the upcoming clash in Bern this weekend.

There was nothing left to do before the manager and his assistant finalized the starting eleven and the substitutes. Schmid pointed to the DM position, suggesting a swap: Behar Neziri in for Betim Fazliji. His reasoning was purely physical; the high-intensity clash against Basel had drained Fazliji, and Schmid felt that fresh legs were needed against the league's best attack .Julien nodded, agreeing with his assistant’s assessment, but his eyes were already scanning the rest of the lineup. While the decision to keep the red-hot Alessandro Vogt in the starting XI—despite Ajeti’s return—was an easy one, Gauthier felt that one more change was needed to truly balance the team for the artificial turf and the sell-out crowd.

While Schmid focused on the energy levels in midfield, Julien was looking at the wings with a critical eye. He wasn't satisfied with Fabio Fehr’s in the last game. He turned to the hero of the Lausanne match, Ouattara, and handed him a starting spot on the left wing. He also moved the versatile Christian Witzig over to the right flank..

"They’re going to hate it," Julien muttered, staring at the defensive shapes on the whiteboard. "We won't be proactive enough. This isn't what the fans or the board expect from us." Schmid offered a reassuring nod. "If we leave Bern with a point or more, Julien, they won't care about the aesthetics. Results are the only currency that matters in the playoffs." 

No other tactical changes were made compared to the masterclass against Basel. 

Yet, one point of contention remained. Just twenty-four hours before kick-off, Schmid had approached Julien again, urging him to hold a team meeting. He felt the 31,500-strong crowd and the "silver medal battle" narrative required a shared psychological moment. But Gauthier refused once more. He wasn't ready to break the routine; he didn't want to signal to his players that this match was any different from the ones they had already won.

Just as Julien was preparing to head out for the pre-match press conference, a notification from recruitment analyst Nnamdi Aghanya caught his attention. He paused, leaning over his desk to scan the reports on two potential targets. He really liked Mattes Hansen's report. At 22, the Paderborn midfielder represents exactly what Julien wants to inject into the St. Gallen DNA.  Julien reached for his notebook and added Hansen's name to the list, but he did so with a heavy stroke of his pen and a large question mark next to the price tag.  "High quality, but at a high price," Julien thought, closing the file. 

However, he wasn't entirely convinced that the other player, Ilyes Ziani would represent a genuine upgrade in Daschner's position.

Julien has put on his tie and the suit Elena had prepared. As he stepped into the media room, he was met by the familiar faces of the Swiss football press. By now, Gauthier knows them. 

They asked if he feared the offensive firepower of Young Boys and what he truly thought of his counterpart, Gerardo Seoane. Gauthier, however offered measured, evasive answers, showing deep respect for Seoane’s achievements without giving the headlines they expected after last time. He wasn't there to play mind games with the oppositiont.

The tone shifted when the journalists turned their attention to his own squad. When asked about the recent performances of Carlo Boukhalfa and the defensive solidity of Jozo Stanić, Julien didn't hold back. His eyes lit up as he praised their work rate, their tactical discipline, and the way they had become so important parts of his system.

"Carlo provides an engine that few teams can match," Julien told the room, his pride evident. "And Jozo? He is the calm in the center of the storm. Players like them are the reason we are even in this position."

Elena remained silent this time. As the press conference concluded, she offered no feedback, no nods of approval—she simply vanished into the stadium corridors as quickly as she had appeared. Julien didn't have time to dwell on it; his focus was already back with the squad. The players arrived shortly after. A light lunch was served in the canteen, followed by a final, brisk briefing in the video room. At 2:00 PM, the team bus was pulling out of the Kybunpark, starting the journey across Switzerland to Bern. As the landscape blurred past the windows, Julien sat in his usual seat at the front. 

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May 9th, 2026

Matchday at the Wankdorf Stadium, Bern

Apart from Baldé, who is still recovering from the ankle injury sustained against Lausanne, the entire squad is fully fit and available for selection.

In the high-pressure environment of the playoffs, having a near-complete roster is a luxury that Gauthier does not take for granted. It means his tactical plan for the Wankdorf—the disciplined 4-3-3 that transitions into a compact 4-1-4-1—can be executed by the exact players he had envisioned during his long nights of preparation.

His heart was with the fans in the away end. His final words in the dressing room hadn't been about tactics or goals; they had been about those people. "They traveled across the country for you," he had told his squad. "Give them everything. Make sure they don't regret a single kilometer of the journey."

Just minutes before the teams were due in the tunnel, Julien stopped for a flash interview. Veton Müller held the microphone, asking with a straight face how important the first goal would be and what exactly Gauthier expected from his players today.

'What a load of rubbish,' Julien thought, his eyes narrowing slightly. He felt like answering with just two words: 'Very' and 'Victory.'

But the shadow of Elena Meçe’s PR guidelines kept him in check. Instead of snapping, he offered a disciplined, professional response. He spoke about the psychological momentum a goal provides in a stadium this loud and emphasized that he expected his players to show the same tactical maturity they displayed against Basel.

The first twenty-five minutes of the game was… let's say boring. St. Gallen sat deep, didn't give any space to the Young Boys' attackers. The home crowd’s initial roar turned into frustration as their team struggled to find a way through the green-and-white defense.

The first semi-decent chance didn't arrive until the 25th minute. Okoroji swung in a corner that caused a brief moment of panic in the YB box, but the defenders managed to head it clear. The ball fell to Lukas Görtler at the edge of the area, but the captain’s effort soared meters over the crossbar. A few minutes later, there was a similar situation at the other end of the pitch. It was probably the worst 45 minutes of football ever. 0-0 at the break. Julien, however, wasn't satisfied with the lack of offensive spark.He brought on Fabio Fehr for Outtara, restoring the natural balance of the wings. Fehr took his place on the right, allowing the versatile Christian Witzig to return to his original position on the left. Gauthier was no longer content with just surviving; he was looking for a way to break the deadlock.

The second half began in the same as the first ended, nothing happened until the 65th minute. A Young Boys attack on the right was ruthlessly snuffed out by a clinical tackle from Vandermersch. He quickly passed to Okoroji on the other side, who exploited the massive vacuum left by the surging YB wing-backs.

Okoroji carried the ball to the halfway line before playing a precise through-ball to Alessandro Vogt. The young striker bypassed the high defensive line but was forced wide toward the touchline. He spotted Christian Witzig unmarked at the edge of the area. Witzig moved it quickly to Boukhalfa, who held up the ball brilliantly with his back to goal. Then came Fabio Fehr—the halftime substitute—into the box from the right, and after getting a little closer to the goal, buried a low shot into the far corner. 0-1! 

The Wankdorf fell into a stunned silence. Young Boys threw everything forward in the closing stages, but they were met with a green-and-white wall. Julien managed the final minutes with surgical precision, bringing on Ajeti and Fazliji to provide fresh lungs. When the final whistle blew, the scoreboard confirmed the impossible.

Five matches. Five wins. 15 points.

The post-match interview started just like any other. Julien stood before the cameras, still feeling the adrenaline of the 1-0 victory. He spoke about the tactical discipline of his players and the incredible support of the 1,575 traveling fans who were still singing in the away end. For the first few minutes, it was the standard narrative of a hard-fought away win that propelled St. Gallen into second place. The questions shifted to the individual honors of the night. A reporter pointed out that Lawrence Ati-Zigi, St. Gallen’s goalkeeper, was named Player of the Match. Then they started to ask about the St. Gallen goalkeepers man of the match performance. Julien didn’t take the bait. He remained composed, praising Ati-Zigi’s focus and reliability. "A win is a win," Julien stated flatly, his voice echoing in the corridor. "We don't need to apologize for having a great goalkeeper who does his job when called needed.

However, the professional mask slipped when the topic of Christian Witzig came up. Julien was asked about John Eustace, the manager of Derby County, who had been spotted in the Wankdorf stands specifically to scout the 25-year-old winger. Julien hadn't been informed of Eustace’s presence, and the realization that one of his key creative engines was being circled by English clubs hit him hard. He tried stay calm, muttering something about “rumors being part of the business”. The thought of losing Witzig just as the team is getting closer to the European competitions hit him hard. Sensing the tension, Elena Meçe stepped in decisively, cutting the interview before Julien could say something he might regret.

Meanwhile Servette was hold to a 1-1 draw at home by Luzern. Let's wait for Basel's game tomorrow before we check the table.

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May 10th, 2026

 Julien Gauthier started early in his office this Sunday. He had granted the squad a well-deserved day off—recovery was as much a mental game as a physical one—but for Julien, it was just another day in the office. He found four scout reports in his mailbox. The profiles were, let's say OK at most. More importantly, thanks to the recent run of good results he wasn't sure what he has to build his team for. How do you build a squad when you don't yet know if you play in the Champions League or the Conference League? What if they miss out of Europe? How would any of these scenarios impact his budget? So Julien stopped looking at these reports for now.

Early afternoon he watched the Lausanne-Basel game with Fritz Schmid. He had hoped for a miracle in Lausanne, but the visitors played really good football this time and won 2-1. The league leaders were on 64 points after this win, while St. Gallen were in 3rd on 60. It seemed he won't need to worry about a big Champions League budget.

The supporters enjoyed the 4-3-3 DM Wide system Julien had implemented, a formation that had turned the team into a goal-scoring machine. But the truth is Servette had a chance to analyse St. Gallen for weeks now, so Julien and his assistant Schmid decided to go in a different way this time. Their instict told them they have to change, and decided to start with a 4-2-3-1 on Tuesday (a formation that worked on Julien's debut against Zürich).

The reports shown that Servette are most likely to play in 4-2-4 formation with 2 DMs which shifts into a 4-4-2 out of possession. It's also clear set pieces are nor working against them, so they will have to keep the ball in play whenever possible and try to create chances from open play. It's also clear they are really poor at heading so probably St. Gallen will try to send several crosses into the penallty area. They have set the basics and decided to name their starting eleven next morning when the fitness tests will arrive.

After Fritz Schmid headed home, Julien stayed in his office. He thought about leaving, too, but the prospect of the sterile hotel room, with its neatly folded towels and lack of personality stopped him. He reached for his phone and dialed home. For thirty minutes, the walls of his office seemed to dissolve as he listened to the familiar chaos of Le Havre—the kids' laughter, his wife’s voice sharing the small details of their day. It was a lifeline, but when they hung up, the silence was even more deafening. To distract himself, Julien opened a local real estate app. He scrolled through listing after listing, but his frustration only grew. The Swiss market seemed to have no middle ground. He found several properties that were essentially modern palaces—villas with ten rooms, indoor pools, and price tags that felt like a club’s entire transfer budget. "I'm looking for a home, not a museum for a duke," he muttered to himself, closing the tab. There were no "normal" family houses available in the area—nothing that felt like the warm, lived-in sanctuary he wanted for his children. He walked back to the hotel through the quiet streets, his footsteps echoing on the pavement. He ordered a dinner in the hotel restaurant and had two cold pints of local beer He didn't think about 4-2-3-1 or Servette’s wingers. He just focused on the weight of the glass in his hand. By the time he climbed into his oversized hotel bed, sleep came quickly.

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May 11th, 2026

As the squad gathered for the final preparations before the clash with Servette, the physical toll of the recent giant-killing run became undeniable. Julien’s medical staff confirmed that several key players were far from being 100% physical condition. Rotation seemed to be necessity.

In the defensive line, Julien gave a starting opportunity to Giordano instead of the ever present Okoroji on the left. In the heart of the midfield, Julien opted for more creative spark, bringing Lukas Daschner into the lineup to replace the tireless but exhausted Boukhalfa. The biggest headache was Christian Witzig's condition. He needed a rest, but Outtara, his direct replacement was on loan from Servette, so he couldn't play. Julien and Schmid held a long discussion in the office and decided to take a risk, and start with Witzig, with the tentative plan to bring on Triboulet at halftime if the energy levels dipped too low. Meanwhile, on the right flank, Fabio Fehr—the hero of the Youn Boys victory—reclaimed his starting spot.

Lukas Görtler was also a concern, but this time Julien also felt this is their most importat match of the season. The captain remains in the starting eleven for now, but a large, red question mark sits next to his name. Gauthier and Schmid are fully aware that Görtler is the heartbeat of their transition from defense to attack, yet his physical data is on the edge. They are prepared to give him every possible minute to recover, leaving the final decision to tomorrow’s pre-match fitness tests.

It is a lineup built on the momentum of five straight wins.

As they previously discussed, they will avoid relying on set-pieces and will instead focus on delivering high crosses into the box.

Before stepping into the press room, Julien scanned the email from Elena. The "Likely Talking Points" were predictable: the Servette clash and the inevitable questions about team selection. Nothing he hadn't prepared for.

As they walked down the narrow corridor toward the press room, Julien leaned in slightly. "No surprises today, right?" he asked with a smile. To his surprise, the Elena Meçe faltered. She stopped for a heartbeat, a visible flush creeping up her neck. "Julien, about the Witzig incident in Bern... I’m sorry. I truly didn't know the Derby scouts were there. I should have been better informed." Julien chuckled, the tension of the upcoming match momentarily lifting. "Relax, Elena. I'm not blaming you. These things happen in football," he said, offering a reassuring nod before taking his seat. For the first time, it felt like they were a team. 

The press room felt different today. The skepticism that had greeted Julien’s arrival months ago had been replaced by a cautious excitement. Sebastian Rickenbacher from The Swiss Football Free Press set the tone with the opening question, and for once, Julien didn’t feel the need to be evasive.

As the press conference progressed, Veton Müller pointed out the elephant in the room: the two giants, Basel and Young Boys, are set to clash against each other this round. It’s a scenario that could play perfectly into St. Gallen’s hands, potentially clearing a path to the very top. Julien didn't dispute the fact, but he remained focused on the task at hand. "What happens in other stadiums only matters if we take care of business at the Kybunpark," he noted, steering the conversation back to the tactical challenge of Servette. The journalists were more interested in the atmosphere, and Julien didn't miss the chance to pay tribute to the supporters. He praised the Kybunpark faithful, describing the stadium as a fortress that breathes with the team. Questions followed about the standout roles of Fabio Fehr and the captain, Lukas Görtler.

As the cameras were packed away, Julien turned to Elena. "No surprises. Good job" he said, a genuine note of appreciation in his voice.

Elena regained her composure instantly, the brief moment of vulnerability from the corridor replaced by her usual sharp confidence. "You too, Julien" she replied before turning on her heel and heading back to the offices.

This time, Julien didn't wait for Schmid’s suggestion. He knew the weight of the headlines and the tension in the city, so he gathered the entire squad. It was time for the Team Meeting he had been holding back until the perfect moment. Julien stood in the center of the room, looking each player in the eye. He was direct: a victory against Servette would mathematically secure their place in the UEFA Conference League, a massive achievement for the club. But he also knew how to take the pressure off.

"We’ve earned the right to be here" Julien told them, his voice calm but firm. "I want you to play exactly as you have been—with discipline and heart. But more than anything, I want you to enjoy the game."

The reaction was better than he could have hoped. The players responded with enthusiasm.

They had a light training session following the team meeting.

Julien spent the evening back at his hotel, looking at the photo of Louis in his scarf. He knew this match at the Kybunpark would be crucial for his own career as well. He had taken over when they were sitting in 6th, but in the end, the only thing that would truly matter is where they finish. And then, who knows... if Basel were to slip up against Young Boys...

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May 12th, 2026

Matchday at Kybunpark, St. Gallen

 Julien arrived at noon, he had a pizza at his desk. While the morning’s scouting reports on four new targets failed to impress him, the news from the international federations was far more significant. Julien had the pleasure of delivering life-changing news to four of his players: they had been named in their respective national teams' preliminary squads for the FIFA World Cup. The biggest surprise was Vinni Triboulet; the French-Cameroonian forward received his first-ever call-up. Joining him in the spotlight are Christian Witzig and Albian Ajeti, both catching the eye of Switzerland manager Murat Yakin. For Witzig, it’s a return to the national fold for the first time since October 2024 (his one and only international appearence so far), while Ajeti’s inclusion proves that even with less playing time recently, his quality remains undisputed. Only the reliable Lawrence Ati-Zigi seems truly guaranteed a seat on the plane to the World Cup with Ghana, but for the others, the dream is officially alive.

The final medical reports arrived. The news confirmed that Christian Witzig was the only one who failed to hit the 100% fitness mark.  Julien’s gut instinct from the night before remained unshaken. With the news of the World Cup preliminary call-up still fresh in Witzig's mind, Gauthier knew his winger would find that extra gear.

"No changes" Julien told Schmid "We stick with the plan."

Before the match, Julien once again reminded his players of the game's importance and pointed out that the team could mathematically secure their place on the European stage with a victory.

The match, however, did not start as the home side had hoped. Despite St. Gallen's fruitless dominance in possession, it was the visitors who took the lead; following a throw-in from the left, Slovakian international Samuel Mráz received the ball inside the box and unleashed a powerful strike into the far corner. Servette continued to pile on the pressure, and while Ati-Zigi made a spectacular save in the 25th minute, Mráz managed to double his tally from close range in the 34th minute. St. Gallen tried to regroup, but the teams headed into the dressing room with the visitors holding a two-goal lead. 

Julien encouraged his team, cheering them on and telling them he knew they were capable of more. At halftime, he made three substitutions: Fazliji came on for Neziri, Okoroji replaced Giordano, and Triboulet was brought on for Witzig, who was completely exhausted. St. Gallen started the second half more actively, but they struggled to create any truly dangerous opportunities. It seemed as though St. Gallen’s fate regarding European qualification was slipping through their fingers when, around the 60th minute, Julien decided on another change. He sent on Ajeti to replace Daschner and adjusted the formation, demanding a more offensive style of play while constantly urging his players forward.

The team began creating more and more chances, but they kept missing, and as time continued to slip away, Julien grew increasingly tense.

Finally, in the 79th minute, Okoroji found Vogt on the left, who passed it on to Triboulet. Triboulet played a low ball across the edge of the box, and Görtler, arriving with immense momentum, hammered a powerful strike into the net from 17 meters, giving the home fans a glimmer of hope. At that moment, Julien leapt from the bench, demanding a full press and urging his team to give everything they had. A few minutes later, his aggression paid off. In the 85th minute, Triboulet surged down the left and crossed to Vogt; although Vogt couldn't carve out a shot for himself, he spotted Vandermersch completely open on the right wing. Vandermersch took the ball right on the touchline and immediately picked out Fehr bursting into the box. Fehr took the pinpoint pass in his stride and rifled it into the top far corner, past the diving goalkeeper. With that, the score was leveled at 2-2.

From that point on, Julien began to calm his team down. Their fate was back in their own hands, while the Servette players were completely shell-shocked by St. Gallen's late comeback. Then, in the 94th minute, came the final blow. Vandermersch released Ajeti on the right, who sprinted with the ball all the way to the end of the pitch. Shaking off his marker, he looked up and squared it to Triboulet, who arrived perfectly at the edge of the six-yard box from the left. Triboulet's thunderous strike took a deflection off a defender, but the ball still found the back of the net, sealing a 3-2 final score. With this result, St. Gallen's qualification for European football is now guaranteed, regardless of the outcomes in the final round.

The press room at the Kybunpark was buzzing with an energy. The journalists didn't just ask about the result; they wanted to know about the soul of the comeback. They obsessed over the "three wonder goals" and, more importantly, what exactly had been said behind the closed doors of the dressing room at half-time. Julien leaned into the microphone with a tired but triumphant smile on his face. "In the first half, we weren't ourselves" he admitted. "But at the break, I didn't scream. I told them I believed in them. I reminded them that they had worked too hard all season to let it slip away now. I told them to go out there, enjoy the pressure, and play the football that got us to second place in the first place."

After the press conference, Julien strolled back to the hotel in high spirits. He could hardly wait to find out the result of tomorrow's clash between Basel and Young Boys.

At this moment I've hit continue, and a day has passed. See you on:

May 13th, 2026

Wednesday morning Julien oversaw a light recovery training session, before sending them home to rest. The coaching staff quickly followed them taking a rare afternoon to breathe. Gauthier also went back to the hotel.

Before heading down to the bar for the Basel match, Julien retreated to his room for a long-awaited video call with Laura. "I need your help, Laura" Julien admitted, gesturing toward the maze of open real estate tabs on his laptop. "I'm completely out of my depth with these Swiss housing platforms. Every time I think I've found something reasonable, the numbers just don't add up" He took a breath, preparing her gently for the financial reality shock. "Just keep one thing in mind... the prices here in St. Gallen are on a completely different planet compared to Le Havre." They spoke about the kids before their goodbyes.

Once the family issues were settled, Julien headed downstairs. The hotel bar had been transformed into a quiet tactical war room. He wasn't watching the game alone; he was surrounded by the men who had become his truest allies in Switzerland. He sat with the legendary Pascal Zuberbühler, whose insights into Swiss football were invaluable, the steady and loyal Fritz Schmid, the sharp analytical mind of Jonas Maier, and the head of youth dev. Gilli, who kept the staff's spirits high. But as the match kicked off, Julien found himself deep in conversation with Thibaut Ridel, the Haitian-born set-piece coach. Ridel had quietly become an indispensable link in Julien’s managerial chain, his innovative ideas on dead-ball situations offering the exact kind of marginal gains needed in a title race.

The group ordered their drinks and focused on the screen.

But true relaxation was impossible. The entire country, and Julien in particular, had their eyes glued to the evening clash at the St. Jakob-Park. The result shook the the Super League. Young Boys masterminded a crucial 2-1 away victory against Basel. Basel’s slip-up means the title race is no longer a distant mathematical fantasy; the gap at the top has vanished.

The Swiss Super League table has set the stage for an absolutely breathtaking final round. The race for the Championship has reached a boiling point. Basel remains at the top with 64 points, but their lead has vanished to a single point. Right behind them, Young Boys (63 pts) and Julien’s St. Gallen (63 pts) are locked in second and third place. The stakes could not be higher: the crown of Swiss football—and a spot in the UEFA Champions League—awaits the champion. Meanwhile, the runners-up and the third-placed teams will have to settle for the UEFA Conference League. Servette's  upcoming Swiss Cup Final against Zürich on May 24th will decides who claims the UEFA Europa League ticket.

At the bottom of the table Thun, with 33 points are mathematically relegated regardless of the final weekend's results. A miraculous escape is theoretically possible for Grasshoppers (38 pts), but their survival requires an astronomical alignment of stars. To climb out of the relegation play-off spot, Grasshoppers would need a victory of at least four goals on the final day, while simultaneously hoping Sion (41 pts) suffers a crushing defeat of the exact same margin.

The matches of the final round will be played simultaneously on Sunday evening at 7:00 PM.

At this moment I've hit continue, and a couple of  days have passed (we'll play the next three days tomorrrow):

May 14th, 2026

Thursday brought only one noteworthy event to the training ground, but it was a devastating blow that threatened to shatter St. Gallen's championship dreams. During a routine goal-kick drill, Lawrence Ati-Zigi collapsed to the turf, clutching the back of his leg.

The atmosphere was thick with tension in the manager's office as Head Physio Stephan Oberli, Pascal Zuberbühler, Fritz Schmid, and Julien gathered to review the medical data. The diagnosis on the screen was cruel: a hamstring strain.

"Under normal circumstances, there would be no debate" Oberli explained. "We would leave him to the physios for standard rehabilitation, meaning he would be sidelined for 2 to 3 weeks. However, given the immense stakes of the final day, we have another option. We can give him an injection. It costs £800 and will make him available for Sunday's match, but it will force him out for 3 to 4 weeks afterward" Schmid immediately leaned forward. “We have to risk it, Julien. The title, the Champions League... it's all on the line this Sunday. We need our number one”

Julien, however, didn't want to do that. "Absolutely not" Gauthier replied. "In less than a month, Ati-Zigi is supposed to represent Ghana at the World Cup. Injecting him now is too dangerous"

Zuberbühler nodded in agreement, trying to calm the room. "Watkowiak has been sharp in training. He is ready to step up."

Julien took a deep breath and called the Ghanaian goalkeeper into his office to deliver the news privately.

"Lawrence, you cannot play this weekend," Julien said. "You are far too important to this club for us to take such a gamble."

The keeper shook his head. "But boss, it's the biggest game of the season. I can handle the pain, I can get through it. I want to play."

"Your World Cup appearance could be put in serious danger, Lawrence, and I cannot allow that," Julien answered, standing up to face his player. “We must do what is right for your career. Get fully recovered as soon as possible, you'll thank me after the world cup”

The goalkeeper broke down in tears, unable to look his manager in the eye, and quietly left the room. Once the door clicked shut and Julien was left completely alone in the silence of his office. He grabbed a plastic water bottle from his desk and threw it against the wall, watching it shatter as the water sprayed across the floor.

May 15th, 2026

Julien spent the first minutes of Friday's training session working closely with Lukas Watkowiak. Gauthier pulled the keeper aside, offering a few encouraging words.

"I know your quality, Lukas," Julien told him, looking him in the eye. "You have trained like a professional every single day for this exact moment. The team trusts you, and I trust you. We all know how good you are"

Julien and Fritz Schmid retreated to the office to analyse their final opponent of the season: FC Luzern. There was plenty of room for optimism. Luzern entered the final day in poor form, managed a single draw and three defeats in the playoffs so far, and registered just one solitary victory in their last ten matches.

However, the statistical blueprints revealed two critical elements that dictated Julien’s final tactical board.

Luzern is one of the most passive, block-and-clear heavy teams in the entire league. They sit incredibly deep, and effectively invite their opponents to shoot, conceding a massive volume of attempts.

Luzern attempts the fewest crosses in the division, and the few they do deliver never find their target.

The tactical conclusion for Sunday’s 7:00 PM game was clear. Julien will demanded his players avoid long-range shots, that would easily be blocked by Luzern's crowded defense. Instead, they had to stick strictly to working the ball into the box to carve out high-quality, chances. Defensively, the plan was to force Luzern out wide to the flanks, where their inefficient crossing would neutralize their own attacks.

Julien received more bad news by the end of the day.

The report from Stephan Oberli was precise and devastating: Fazliji had sustained a hernia during a lifting session in the gym. With an expected recovery time of 3 to 4 weeks, he was also ruled out for the last match of the season.

St. Gallen had managed to avoid injuries since Julien's arrival, but now, ahead of the final match, crucial links of the chain have fallen out.

May 16th, 2026

On the morning of the day before the match, as always, Julien and Schmid finalized the starting eleven. Schmid suggested making six changes.

They easily agreed on keeping the formation. In the end, only two adjustments were made to the starting lineup: Okoroji rightfully reclaimed his spot on the left side of the defence, and the injured Ati-Zigi was replaced between the posts by Watkowiak.

Julien had originally intended to hand more developmental minutes to the club's youth prospects and heavily rotate the squad. However,  the playoff race and their spectacular run of results completely rewrote those plans. The pressure to win had grown exponentially with every passing week, turning what was meant to be a transition period into a fight for the championship. The stakes were simply too high.

Then came the inevitable pre-match press conference, an event Julien had absolutely no desire to attend this time.

The reporters opened the session by offering their congratulations on St. Gallen's spectacular playoff run. The conversation immediately turned to the club's unexpected championship chances on the final day. They pressed him for a prediction, wanting him to name a favorite for the title. Julien, however, completely refused to do that. He carefully avoided making any guesses or promises that could add unnecessary weight to his players' shoulders.

"We don't play the guessing game in our dressing room," Julien told the room with a calm, measured smile. "The table will speak for itself at 9:00 PM on Sunday. Our only job until then is to focus entirely on Luzern and control what we can control on the pitch."

"They're starting to get a bit flat, Julien" Elena remarked dryly as they walked out of the media room, though her tone lacked its usual bite. She wasn't entirely dissatisfied with his performance, but she couldn't hide her professional frustration. "You're allowed to actually give them something to write about from time to time, you know."

Julien just smiled, loosening his tie as the heavy doors shut behind them. "I prefer my drama on the pitch, Elena. It's safer for my blood pressure."

They had a drink together before they walked home.

He spent Saturday evening in his hotel room. A brief call to Laura and the kids helped him.

At this moment I've hit continue and a day has passed. See you on the final matchday of the Swiss Super League:

May 17th, 2026

Matchday at swissporarena, Luzern

In the morning of May 17th, 2026, the team gathered for a quiet breakfast together. Julien Gauthier retreated back to his hotel room. The Swiss Super League season was down to its final ninety minutes.

Sitting at his desk, Julien opened his laptop to find a morning briefing from Roger Stilz, the club's Director of Football.

While a draw was expected, everyone was secretly hoping for a Champions League spot (which would mean the team will finish as champions).

Just before he got ready for his final meeting with Schmid, his phone rang. It was Laura and the kids. They spoke for about a half an hour about Camille's music lesson's and Louis's training sessions before they had to say goodbye.

"We miss you, Dad" Louis said.

"When are you coming home?" Camille asked next.

"In about a week, sweetie" Julien replied.

"Hopp St. Gallen! Go Green and Whites!" Louis shouted  just before they hung up.

Before leaving the hotel, Julien held a final briefing with his assistant, Schmid, and the medical staff. The report brought welcome news: no fresh injuries had surfaced during the final hours. It meant Julien could stick with his planned starting eleven.

At exactly 17:00, the team bus pulled up outside the swissporarena, cutting through a sea of arriving fans. Once inside the belly of the stadium, Julien gathered his players for one final tactical meeting. An hour later, the players stepped out onto the pitch to begin their warm-ups.

Luzern also lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with a completely sold-out crowd of 16,940 spectators welcoming the teams. It was St. Gallen who started the match more actively. The first dangerous moment came in the 5th minute when the home goalkeeper had to tip Fehr's free-kick over for a corner. A few minutes later, Fehr's corner from the left was headed out by the defenders, but Daschner controlled the ball, drove into the penalty area, and forced another save from the keeper. St. Gallen kept piling on the pressure, which finally paid off in the 24th minute. On the left wing near the halfway line, Witzig started cutting inside but lost the ball in the middle of the pitch. The ball bounced to Daschner, who played it out wide to the overlapping Vandermersch, who then sent Fehr running down the touchline. Fehr passed the ball into the path of Daschner, who stormed into the box and slotted a half-high shot into the far corner, making it 0-1. Just three minutes later, on the other flank, Okoroji passed to Witzig past a rushing defender. Witzig crossed the ball from the edge of the 18-yard box towards the right corner of the six-yard box, where Daschner rose highest to head it into the net, making it 0-2. St. Gallen maintained their dominance on the pitch and held onto their lead until half-time. Julien was highly satisfied, praising his players in the dressing room and choosing not to make any substitutions.

St. Gallen remained the more active side in the second half as well. The first notable event occurred in the 57th minute when Witzig suffered what appeared to be a serious injury, forcing him off to be replaced by Ouattara. In the 69th minute, Watkowiak made a spectacular save following a corner. Immediately after, Ajeti and Boukhalfa came on to replace Vogt and Görtler, and ten minutes later, Giordano stepped in for Okoroji. Towards the end of the match, Van Moos broke clean through on goal, but Watkowiak produced another excellent save to deny him. The scoreline remained unchanged, securing another victory for St. Gallen. Now, they just had to wait for the results from the other pitches.

Both of the other championship group matches ended in a draw.

This meant that under Julien's management, St. Gallen—winning seven out of seven matches—won the championship ahead of Basel and Young Boys.

Against every mathematical odd, St. Gallen—who sat languishing in 6th place when Julien took the reins in April—had done the unthinkable. They had clinched the Swiss Super League title by a single point ahead. For only the third time in the club’s 147-year history, following their legendary triumphs in 1904 and 2000, Die Espen were the kings of Switzerland. As champagne began to spray, Julien quietly stepped away from the madness. His hands trembled slightly as he dialed home.

Laura answered on the first ring, the television commentary buzzing in her background. "You did it, Julien. We saw it. You actually did it"

"We did it" Julien whispered, a massive smile breaking across his face as Louis and Camille drowned out the line, screaming with joy for their dad. The school year was almost over, and when his family finally arrived in Switzerland, they wouldn't just be joining a manager—they would be joining a champion.

Just as Julien hung up the phone with Laura,  through the haze of spraying champagne and singing players, Julien’s eyes locked onto Stephan Oberli. The club’s head physio wasn’t smiling. With a grim, definitive gesture, Oberli caught the manager's gaze and shook his head. Christian Witzig was in bad shape. Julien immediately cut through the crowd and rushed into the medical room. The sight that welcomed him was heartbreaking. The reality on the treatment table was far worse than anyone had feared. The diagnosis was bad: a fractured lower leg.

The timing could not have been more cruel. With the World Cup just around the corner, his lifelong dream of representing his country on the biggest stage of all had vanished in a single, poorly timed tackle. Julien closed the distance and sat beside him. He knew exactly what it felt like to have your body betray you at the worst possible moment—his own plagued right ankle from his playing days was a constant reminder of that exact frustration.

"Look at me, Christian" Julien said,  "We are not leaving you behind. This club owes this title to you, and we are going to do everything in our power to get you back. You see a specialist. Whatever it costs, whatever you need, the club has your back. Your journey with St. Gallen is far from over."

The manager stayed by his player's side until the ambulance crew prepared him for transport.

Right at that moment, the door of the medical room opened. Elena stepped inside and firmly grabbed Julien by the arm.

"Time to move, Gauthier. You're late for the press conference" she said, her voice a mix of urgency and hidden excitement. "Life doesn't stop for a champion! We still have duties to fulfill." Julien took one last look at Witzig, nodded to the medical staff, and let Elena lead him through the winding corridors of the swissporarena. Stepping into the press room, the flashing cameras temporarily blinded him. Pundits and journalists from ZWÖLF, The Swiss Football Chronicle, and 4-4-2.com were already waiting.

The press conference itself was a swift, professional affair. Julien handled the questions with his usual calm demeanor, deflecting personal praise and focusing on the monumental effort of the squad. There were polite congratulations from the floor, questions about the tactical masterclass of the last seven weeks, and inevitably, a few inquiries about the upcoming Champions League adventure. Julien answered politely, kept his cards close to his chest, and wrapped it up quickly .

The team bus was fired up and waiting outside. The journey back to St. Gallen was the polar opposite of the tense, quiet ride into Luzern twenty-four hours prior. Witzig’s injury remained in Julien’s heart, but out on the bus, the celebration continued. Players, coaches, and staff sang all the way home to St. Gallen. transforming the vehicle into a rolling festival of green and white. The historic third title was finally theirs, and as the highway signs for St. Gallen drew closer, Julien seemed to be really proud as he was looking out the window.

At this moment I've hit continue, and a couple of days have passed. See you on:

May 18th, 2026

It was around 11:00 PM yesterday, when the St. Gallen team bus finally carved its way through a sea of green and white toward the Kybunpark. Thousands of fans had gathered outside the stadium, turning the night into a carnival. The players pressed their faces against the glass, waving and filming the madness outside, but tonight was not the night for the official parade. The bus pushed through the gates, rolling into the quiet security of the stadium.  Julien gathered the players before he let them go. "Enjoy the night, boys. You’ve earned every single drop of it. But remember: the official celebration starts right here at the stadium tomorrow at 5:00 PM."

While the players and the younger members of the coaching staff immediately headed into the heart of the city to blend with the partying crowds, Julien and his inner circle chose a different route. They went to Gilli's place. Julien, Schmid, Zuberbühler, Maier, and the team's fitness coach, Thibaut Ridel, took over a corner table had a few drinks together. Moments later, Elena Meçe joined them, finally shaking off the rigid formality of her press officer duties.

The conversation quickly became mess of football stories and laughter. Zuberbühler, using his large hands to mimic a goalkeeper's reach, dramatically re-enacted Watkowiak's 69th-minute save, slapping the wooden table so hard the glasses rattled. Thibaut Ridel, mixing French and German with theatrical enthusiasm, joked that the players were in such peak physical condition they could have easily played another ninety minutes. Schmid added: “ Judging by the singing on the bus, their lung capacity was certainly not an issue.” Elena kept scrolling through her phone, laughing as she held it up to show the table the exploding social media feeds. "Julien," she smiled, taking a sip of her drink, "half the city wants to elect you as the permanent mayor, and the other half is already debating where to put your statue near the Abbey."

Julien leaned back in his chair, quietly taking it all in. He looked around the table at his staff. Just a few weeks ago, these people were strangers; tonight, they were champions of Switzerland. The worry for Witzig's injury was still there, but tonight it was all about celebrations. He was a champion, his staff was locked in, and his family would soon be making this beautiful city their permanent home.

Monday morning arrived with the heavy, unmistakable ache of a hangover, but Julien Gauthier had no intention of wasting the day in bed. He wanted to finalize his initial transfer plans over the next few days; his heart was set on being back in Le Havre by the weekend to finally embrace his family.

However, before he could even open his laptop, the phone in his hotel room shattered the morning quiet. It was his brother-in-law and agent, Paul Morel, calling from the fast-paced world of Paris.

"Congratulations, Julien! You’ve pulled off something absolutely massive!"

"Not at all, Paul. It's a great squad," Julien replied. "I just had to listen to what my staff were telling me and keep the fire burning in the players."

"Interest in you has skyrocketed, Julien" Paul countered quickly, cutting straight to the business side of things. "We can make some serious money out of this."

Julien sighed. "Drop it, Paul. We literally just won the championship. I’m preparing to buy a house here, and besides, I’ve only managed seven games."

"Yes." Paul insisted. "But you took them over in sixth place and won all seven of those games. Just think about it."

Realizing he wouldn't change Paul's ambitious mindset today, Julien kept the farewell brief, and they hung up. Sitting at the edge of his bed, Julien stared at his phone for a moment. “If it was about the money, I could have gone to Toulouse.”  He thought. But as he looked out the window toward the Kybunpark, his mind remained entirely green and white. He had a title to defend, a Champions League campaign to prepare for, and a family to bring to Switzerland. The outside world could wait.

Before he could pack his bags for Le Havre, he still had to evaluate three key positions for the upcoming season's squad. He opened his notebook and focused on the left wing, where he currently had five players listed in the roster.

At the top of the list was Christian Witzig. His place in Julien’s high-pressing system was absolutely unquestionable, a cornerstone of the tactical blueprint. Looking at Witzig’s profile, Julien couldn't help but wonder if this devastating fractured lower leg—which would sideline the midfielder for several grueling months—might actually serve as a blessing in disguise on the market. Derby County had been circling aggressively, but a long-term injury would likely deter the English club from making a summer bid, keeping the creative spark in Switzerland.

The 20-year-old Swiss prospect, Outtara had consistently performed well whenever called upon. He was currently on loan from Servette, and Julien underlined his name, making a  note to initiate talks with his parent club immediately. Whether through a permanent transfer or another season-long loan, Ouattara was vital insurance.

Tiemoko Ouattara – Sign permanently / Extend loan

Next came a more complicated case: Kevin Csoboth. The 25-year-old winger, capped 26 times for the Hungarian national team, was returning from a loan spell at Gençlerbirliği, where he had been a regular starter in almost every league match. Julien tapped his pen against the desk and placed a large question mark next to Csoboth's name. His quality was undeniable, but was he good enough for Champions League?

The remaining options were easily sorted. Aliou Baldé was completely crossed off the list; Julien simply did not see a future for the Guinean winger in his long-term plans. As for Vinni Triboulet, despite a few emergency cameos on the left flank, Julien firmly cataloged the 26-year-old Cameroonian as a central striker rather than a winger.

Turning his attention to the right flank.

Julien opened the next folder, and one name immediately caught his eye: Fabio Fehr. Originally, Julien had viewed Fehr as a versatile, third-choice fullback capable of covering both sides. However, toward the end of the season, Fehr had pushed his way up to become the club's number one right winger. While Julien was thoroughly satisfied with Fehr's work rate and contributions, he knew the grueling demands of the Champions League would require more specialized quality.

He quickly scribbled a note: Right wing reinforcement needed.

The rest of the right-sided roster presented immediate puzzles. Alessandro Vogt and Vinni Triboulet were primarily strikers in Julien's eyes, and Aliou Baldé was out here as well. That left the 21-year-old Malamine Efekele, but a quick glance at his development showed he was simply not ready for the elite European stage. Julien wrote a clear directive next to his name: Loan out.

The remaining depth chart offered few solutions. Beyond Kevin Csoboth's ability to cover both flanks, there was Konrad Faber, currently out on loan at Dynamo Dresden. However, Faber’s profile leaned heavily toward a traditional right-back rather than the attacking force Julien needed upfront.

With both flanks analyzed, only the striker position remained. Julien had originally planned to look over this department the following day, but since the puzzle felt mostly straightforward, he decided to go ahead with it.

His confidence in the 21-year-old Alessandro Vogt had grown immensely toward the end of the campaign, making the young Swiss forward his clear first choice.

This rapid rise left Albion Ajeti in a difficult position; the 29-year-old experienced striker had agreed to join St. Gallen before Julien’s arrival in April, and he was likely already regretting the move, realizing he would enter the historic Champions League season primarily as a backup option from the bench.

Julien knew the next season required depth, and he ideally wanted a reliable third-choice striker. He felt he already had the perfect internal candidates within the current setup in the form of either Tiemoko Ouattara or Vinni Triboulet. He tapped his pen against his notepad and wrote down a final, note:

 If Ouattara's permanent transfer could be secured from Servette, we would actively look to sell Triboulet in the summer market.

Julien leaned back, staring at the completed notes on his screen. The attacking puzzle was fully mapped out. He closed his laptop, rubbed his eyes, and checked the time. The tactical foundation for the future was laid.

As he finished assessing his squad, he erceived an official email from club president Matthias Hüppi. The board had lost no time in laying down the financial foundations for the upcoming campaign. 

 Julien would have some decent room to maneuver in the upcoming transfer market. Supported by a healthy overall balance of £21.74 million, the board handed him a transfer budget of £4.46 million and raised the wage budget to 250k/w. The resources were there, the objective was set, and the chess match of the summer window has started.

The party started at 5PM at the Kybunpark

The Kybunpark was packed to absolute capacity for the championship celebrations. To kick off the event, Elena Meçe welcomed Matthias Hüppi to the makeshift stage set up in the center of the pitch. He was joined by Roger Stilz, and together they spoke briefly about how difficult it had been to part ways with manager Enrico Maaßen mid-season. They admitted that back in early March, when they made that painful decision, they had absolutely never expected an outcome like this. Then, in a great ovation from the crowd, Julien stepped onto the stage, alongside with team captain Lukas Görtler and Lawrence Ati-Zigi. Placing his hand firmly on the championship trophy resting at the center of the stage, Julien delivered a short but powerful speech:

"I want to thank my predecessor, Enrico, for leaving me such an excellent squad. Thank you to the club directors for placing their trust in me, to my players, to my backroom staff, to the fans, and above all, to my wife Laura and my children, who have supported me every single step of the way. Without you, this wouldn't have been possible. Let's celebrate now, but let's not forget: next year is going to be a hell of a difficult season."

Meanwhile, the players and members of the coaching staff flooded the stage. As Julien spoke his final words, the local DJ, who had been providing the music all night, dropped the iconic anthem "We Are the Champions." At that exact moment, Görtler and Ati-Zigi lifted the trophy high into the air.

May 19th, 2026

The next morning, Julien had a meeting with Hüppi, where the president announced that the club would expand its backroom staff, increasing the scouting team by two positions and the physiotherapy staff by one. Julien fully agreed with these upgrades. 

Following the staff adjustments, they outlined the expectations for the upcoming season. Julien knew all too well that after winning the title, he could no longer realistically claim that a mid-table finish would be sufficient. Thus, he accepted the targets Hüppi laid out on the table:

Julien knew next season would probably be even more important for his future than these last couple of months. His contract will expire June 2027, so meeting with all the expectations will be crucial.

Immediately after his meeting with Hüppi, Julien gathered the entire squad in the main meeting room for one final team meeting before the summer break. He wanted to look them in the eyes and personally thank them once again for the monumental shift they had put in over the last two months. Standing before the champions, Julien also laid out the board’s new expectations. The response from the players was exactly what a manager hoped to see. Looking around the room, every single face radiated determination and focus. 

From leaders like Lukas Görtler to the youngsters like Alessandro Vogt, the players looked completely encouraged and highly motivated by the challenge of defending their status and stepping onto the elite European stage. Julien delivered a few final, inspiring words of encouragement, before releasing them for a well-deserved summer holiday.

Julien decided to pack up his belongings in his office and take a moment to rest before doing anything else. The familiar clicking of Elena’s heels broke the silence. "One last evening at Gilli’s, champion?" she called out into the office, leaning against the doorframe with a smile. "We'll see," Julien replied softly, not looking up as he continued packing away his stuff. Once back in his quiet hotel room, he picked up his phone to dial his family one more time.

At this moment I've hit continue and a few days have passed. See you on:

May 22nd, 2026

For Julien Gauthier, last weekend’s historic title win with St. Gallen was a professional peak, but Tuesday night offered a brief, human pause. It wasn’t a grand gala or an endless night of partying; it was just a quiet couple of beers with the coaching staff and players—a moment to let the their achievement finally sink in. But Wednesday brought a different kind of milestone. A crucial one.  Julien’s focus shifted from the pitch to the future of his family. Up until now, he had been living the solitary life of a manager in transit, but with the season drawing to a close, the time had come to bring Laura, Camille, and Louis over from Le Havre. Finding the right place hadn't been easy. The properties within St. Gallen itself felt overly grand—almost like palaces.. In the end, Julien found perfection just a few kilometers away. On Wednesday, the deposit was officially paid, securing a spacious, modern 4.5-room apartment in Gossau.

The apartment was completely renovated in 2021, it also came with two bathrooms and 119m2. Most importantly, after sharing the listing via countless video calls, it received an enthusiastic green light from Laura and the kids back in France. For Julien, the location was great as well. The Kybunpark is only a five-minute drive away. As the school year in Le Havre nears its end, the Gauthier family finally has a place in Switzerland to truly call home.

With the deposit paid on the CHF 860,000 Gossau apartment, Julien couldn't rest. He immediately headed back to Kybunpark. The room was already filled with the club's core football operations staff: Assistant Manager Fritz Schmid, Director of Football Roger Stilz, Chief Scout Nnamdyi Aghanya, Head of Youth Development Mario Gilli, and Loan Manager Renato Fusco.

They had a transfer budget of £4.46M and a remaining wage flexibility of £21.5K per week. The strategy was clear from: Julien wanted to shift as much of that transfer budget into the wage structure as possible. To survive in Europe and defend their domestic title, St. Gallen would have to hunt the free agent market, focusing on out-of-contract quality rather than expensive transfer fees.

Before looking at external targets, Julien looked across the table at the Head of Youth Development, desperately hoping for a hidden gem that might save them precious resources.

"Mario, is there anyone in the youth setup you would confidently recommend for next year’s first-team squad?" Julien asked.

"No, Julien. Unfortunately, not this year." 

"Alright, but what if we forget the Champions League for a moment and just focus on the domestic league? Someone for a quick substitution or rotation when the schedule gets tight?"

"Julien, we haven't really uncovered anyone of that caliber in the last year or two," Gilli explained honestly. "Konietzke was the last one, and he is already up with the first team. Maybe next year. We have Gentrit, but with Lawrence Ati Zigi in goal..."

At that exact moment, Loan Manager Renato Fusco chimed had a few words.

"Yes, Gentrit could be a good option," Fusco noted, addressing the young goalkeeper's future. "But in my opinion, he needs to play consistent football. With Lawrence Ati Zigi and Lukas Watkowiak ahead of him, I don’t think he would get much playing time. I strongly believe we should send him out on loan for another year to continue his development."

Fusco then shifted his focus to the scouting screen, pulling up a profile that offered immediate solution for squad depth.

"However, we should consider Konrad Faber," Fusco continued, pointing to the 28-year-old German wing-back. "He could be an incredibly useful player for us. He can be a reliable rotation option on both the right side of the defense and  on the right wing. He performed well this year on loan at Dynamo Dresden. I know the 2. Bundesliga is a farrom the Champions League, but let’s be realistic—we aren't Bayern Munich either. We need disciplined, hard-working squad players who understand their roles."

Julien agreed!

Fusco added one more name to the equation. "And let’s not forget about Kevin Csoboth either. We have options returning who know the club and are hungry to prove themselves." 

Julien wasn't convinced about Csoboth, but it was woth a try at least. He started almost every league game of turkish side Gençlerbirliği this season.

Roger Stilz spoke up, throwing a pragmatic, financial option onto the table.

"Maybe we should look into selling Kevin," the Director of Football suggested . "Especially if our transfer and wage budgets prove to be too tight to fill the gaps in the squad. We could use the capital."

Julien didn't even respond to that. The staff moved on to review the players who spent the season at Kybunpark on loan from other clubs. Some decisions had already been made—Albian Ajeti had already signed during the season. Others required little debate; Shkelqim Vladi and Aliou Baldé had barely featured under Julien’s tenure anyway, making their departures a formality.

Julien pulled out his own personal notebook, flipping to a heavily highlighted page.

"Tiemoko Ouattara," Julien said. "I want to keep him here."

He pointed toward the screen."He is only twenty. He provides fantastic cover as a squad player on both the left wing and as a striker. He has the pace we need, and more importantly, he has great potential." Julien looked at Stilz. "Servette won't demand a fortune for him. He fits our financial reality perfectly."

Without wasting any time, the decision was finalized. St. Gallen officially placed a £220,000 bid.

Julien had didn't waste time.

"We need at least four key signings,"  He stated firmly "First, I need a left-back who can compete with Okoroji for the starting spot. Second, a dominant central defender who joins the squad as a guaranteed starter, not a backup option. Third, a defensive midfielder with the technical capability to step up into the central midfield roles when needed. And finally, we lack a true number ten; behind Lukas Daschner, we have nobody who can really play there."

He paused, scanning the faces of his staff before finishing. "Furthermore, if the budget allows, we have to investigate whether we can find an upgrade on the right wing."

The room in general agreed, but Fritz Schmid, the experienced assistant manager, immediately raised some concerns. He felt the emotional and tactical weight of discarding players who had just delivered the title.

"We cannot do that to Fabio," Schmid warned. “It’s true that we didn't originally plan the season with him as our first option on the right wing. But we cannot forget that his crucial goals are a massive reason why we are sitting here today as champions.The guy was great when needed, if you drop him now, you'll lose the dressing room.”

Julien totally understood Schmid’s point. He didn't completely cross a new right-winger off his wish list, but he has put a question mark to it. Chief Scout Nnamdyi Aghanya started to talk. He and Julien had already spent hours filtering data, and now it was time to present the final recommendations to the rest of the team. "Let’s start with the central defensive positions," Aghanya began, adjusting his glasses. "We have found two highly experienced central defenders who fit our financial plans perfectly. Both are entering the final weeks of their contracts and will be available as free agents this summer."

"Marcus Mathiesen is a thirty-year-old Danish defender currently playing for 1. FC Magdeburg. He just narrowly missed out on the Bundesliga 2 promotion playoff with his club, so he is highly motivated for a new challenge. His contract expires on June 30th, and his current wage is a very reasonable £6,750 per week."

"The second option is Jean-Philippe Gbamin," Aghanya announced, as the 30-year-old Ivorian international’s attributes filled the screen. "He spent this past season in Ligue 1 with Metz, where they fought a grueling relegation battle, ultimately finishing 16th in the table. His contract is up on June 30th, and like Mathisen, his current wages sit right at the £6,750 per week mark."

They agreed to further scout both and try to offer them a contract before anyone else would step in.

“If we could get both of these guys for free, Jozo Stanic could cover more on the right for Vandermersch when needed. It would be great.” Julien added

"And they are both for free" Joined Stilz.

"For the left-back position, we have three options," Aghanya announced "The first two are highly realistic and would slide easily into our existing wage structure. We have Tobias Schattin, who has been put in solid, reliable performances out in Cyprus. Then there is the Algerian fullback, Fahem Benaïssa, who has caught our eye with his consistency playing in Portugal. Both are sensible, low-risk targets."

And a high-profile target appeared on the screen: Mads Pedersen.

"But if we want to talk about a real statement we have to look at this man," the chief scout continued. "Pedersen is currently a fringe player at FC Augsburg in the Bundesliga. He is officially transfer-listed, and we have been informed that Augsburg is willing to let him go for a very reasonable £900,000.

"His wages are just too high" Stilz started already.

"If he wants to play Champions League Football, he might drop his demands a little" Added Schmid.

“OK, let's try Pedersen, he can probably work well with Mathiesen if we can get them both. Our 2nd option will be Benaïssa, but I won't be too disappointed if we can only get Schattin. The fans would love a new swiss guy in the team.

"The defensive midfield market has been our toughest challenge by far," Aghanya admitted."To be completely honest, we only have one hit that fits our basic criteria" 

The screen showed Andreas Müller, a 25-year-old German midfielder.

"Müller is currently playing for Karlsruher SC, who just finished safely in the mid-table of the 2. Bundesliga," the Chief Scout explained. "His contract runs until 2028, and his current wage sits at a very manageable £6,750 per week. Valued between £65K and £650K, he wouldn't be an expensive signing."

The room remained silent for a moment before Fritz Schmid told them what everyone was thinking. "He’s a good player, Julien, but is he the player who changes our dimension in Europe?"  They were not in a rush, so they decided to check if there were any better options. 

"For the attacking midfield role, we have a unique opportunity," Aghanya started to present Gaetano Castrovilli. “He is twenty-nine years old, a former Italian international with four senior caps, and he is about to become a free agent on June 30th.

"He spent this past season in Italy, but it was a nightmare year for his team, Bari has been relegated from Serie B," the Chief Scout explained. "Because of the relegation, he will not be extending his contract. His current wage is £12K per week, which is right on our upper limit, but his quality is undeniable."

Just as Julien was about to close his notebook and wrap up the marathon meeting, Nnamdi Aghanya raised a finger, signaling he had one final card left to play. 

“Before we finish, there is one more option I want you to consider. In case you change your minds about the right side, we have a Swiss player.”

"Pusic spent this past season out in Poland." the Chief Scout explained. "He is their star player, but we have received indications that he is highly interested in returning home to Switzerland, especially with the pull of Champions League football. He is under contract until 2027, but we could comfortably bring him home for a transfer fee of around £1M. His wages are incredibly low at just £3K per week, which balances out the transfer cost perfectly."

"He would be an upgrade" Julien was thinking. Okay, this is what we do: Let's try to bring in the two central defenders, Mathiesen and Gbamin for free. Make that bid of 900.000 for Pedersen, and try to sign the former Italian international. Keep looking for a better option for the defensive midfielder role, let's give it 2 weeks. If we have no other option, we go for Müller. Then we start to move some of our transfer budget towards the wages and we will review the contracts of the players already in our squad. Twelve of them have only one, and other nine have only two years left. Once that's sorted we will decide if we can go for Pusic."

They have also decided to transfer list Albert Vallci, Jésah Ayessa, Dominik Becker,Simone Giordano, and to loan list Corsin Konietzke.

The summer transfer strategy was finalized. There were no long goodbyes. The moment the meeting concluded, Julien grabbed his coat and headed straight for the airport. With a signed confirmation for the new family home in Gossau and a clear recruitment plan, it was time to cross the border and head back to France.

At this moment I've hit continue and a couple of days have passed. See you on:

(We'll play this day on the 25th)

May 24th, 2026

It was just after 10PM on Friday, when Julien finally arrived at the family home in Le Havre on Friday night. He expected a quiet, sleeping house, but instead, despite the late hour, Laura, Camille, and Louis were all wide awake, waiting to welcome the freshly crowned Swiss champion. His children threw their arms around him. They stayed awake for long that night.

The following morning brought a rare surprise. Jean-Pierre and Monique Morel had made the long journey up from Saint-Pierre-de-Chertreuse. It was a rare sight, as the grandparents vastly preferred hosting the family in their home, rather than traveling to Le Havre. To make the reunion complete, Julien’s sister, Léa, came up from her gallery in Lyon, and Paul, ever the high-flying agent, made the quick trip from Paris.

For a few hours, the apartment was filled with the warm noise of a complete family reunion. Monique immediately took over the kitchen, her gentle presence smoothing out any traveling fatigue, while Paul raised a toast to Julien's masterclass in Switzerland. Naturally, the peace had to face its usual test. During breakfast, Jean-Pierre looked around the room, cleared his throat, and had remark to his son-in-law. "I still don't understand why you bought an apartment in St. Gallen instead of a proper house," the old man muttered, shaking his head. "A family needs space, Julien. But I suppose Switzerland has different standards."

It was classic Jean-Pierre. Laura caught Julien’s eye from across the table, offering a sympathetic smile. Wisely, Julien chose to let the comment slide right past him, refusing to it ruin the day. From that point on, the atmosphere remained bright and joyful. It was a perfect, much-needed weekend of celebration.

By Sunday, the family celebrations gave way to the reality of football management. As Julien sat at his desk in Le Havre, his phone began buzzing with updates from the St. Gallen scouting team and his backroom staff.  Winning the league had put a target on their backs, and the market was reacting accordingly. The first major update concerned their primary transfer targets. The pursuit of Benaissa had hit a significant financial roadblock, with his club demanding a much higher fee than St. Gallen had initially projected. Recognizing that they could easily blow their entire budget on a single player, Julien and his staff quickly pivoted, shifting their full attention to Pedersen. Negotiations with the Danish player advanced rapidly over the weekend. It appeared that a contract package worth £14,500 per week would be enough to secure his signature, provided no rival club swooped in with a last-minute hijacking attempt. Meanwhile, the search for defensive reinforcements proved equally challenging. The two central defenders sitting at the top of Julien's shortlist dropped a financial bombshell, with both demanding roughly £10,000 per week more than they planned. It meant they had to let one of them go for now.

The Swiss Cup final was also played on Sunday, with Servette winning the match 2-1.

May 25th, 2026

On Monday morning, shortly after Julien dropped the children off at school, the first piece of major transfer news hit his inbox. St. Gallen had officially locked in their first signing of the summer window. Tiemoko Ouattara, the 21-year-old winger who spent the previous campaign on loan at the club, reached a full agreement to turn his stay into a permanent one.

Julien finally found the time to check the final standings of the French leagues. Looking at the Ligue 2 table brought a massive wave of nostalgia, as two of his former clubs had experienced very different fates. Saint-Étienne, the club where he had spent some of his most successful playing years and lifted the French League Cup, finished 2nd and got promoted to Ligue 1. Grenoble the club that  shaped him, providing his first real breakthrough as a player and later serving as his starting point in coaching as an assistant manager finished comfortably in mid-table.

Le Havre finished 15th in Ligue 1, but Louis already told him that.

He and Laura spent the rest of the morning running errands and doing the grocery shopping together, a simple routine they had deeply missed during the months of separation. Afterward, they treated themselves to a quiet lunch at a charming local restaurant near the harbor. They talked about the upcoming move to St. Gallen and the logistics of setting up their new life in Switzerland once the school year ended. They drove together to pick up Camille and Louis from school. The kids were happy as both parents waited for them at the gates.

Julien found himself behind the wheel of his blue Peugeot 508, driving home he realized just how much he had missed the car during his time away in Switzerland.

At this moment I've hit continue and a day has passed. See you on:

May 26th, 2026

On Tuesday, Julien and Laura took a huge step to their new life by officially putting their house in Le Havre on the market. With the house listed, the couple sat down to map out the logistics of the upcoming summer. Julien’s presence would be required back in St. Gallen by mid-June to oversee the start of pre-season preparations. However, any immediate family vacations were firmly off the table, as Camille and Louis still had weeks left before the school year ended.

Instead, they planned a few days off for July. During the first week of the month, Julien and Laura would slip away for a much-needed romantic getaway to Lake Como. To make this possible, assistant manager Fritz Schmid agreed to take full charge of the training sessions during that week. Meanwhile, the children would be away in a summer camp in Bordeaux. The timing worked out perfectly: Julien would use the weeks before the trip to fully furnish and set up their new St. Gallen apartment. On July 4th, he and Laura would drive straight from their holiday to their new Swiss home. To complete the transition, Julien's sister, Léa, kindly offered to pick up Camille and Louis from their Bordeaux camp and bring them out to St. Gallen.

While the domestic plans were falling into place, the online scouting meetings have started. Following days of negotiations, Roger Stilz and Julien managed a massive financial breakthrough. They successfully bargained down the wage demands of both central defensive targets Marcus Mathiesen and Jean-Philippe Gbamin to a combined £17,000. What previously looked impossible, was now a real, exciting probability that both powerhouse defenders would be wearing the St. Gallen colors for the upcoming Champions League campaign.

At this moment I've hit continue, and a few days have passed. See you on:

May 29th, 2026

The rest of the week was mostly uneventful. Leading up to Friday, Julien was just a regular dad, driving the children to school every morning and picking them up each afternoon.

Family life took center stage. During the evenings,  wasCamille practicing her flute—she was progressing beautifully, showing a natural talent that made her parents incredibly proud. On the other hand, watching Louis kick a ball around the yard made it increasingly clear that he hadn’t inherited his father's football instincts. He was enthusiastic, but he certainly was not too skillful. Julien and Laura shared a laugh over a glass of wine, gently brainstorming about their son's future.

"Maybe he should follow his sister's footsteps and try music instead," Laura suggested “he should probably try the piano”.

On Friday afternoon, Julien checked the Swiss football news to see how the season were wrapping up. While St. Gallen’s players were already enjoying their holidays, there two crucial matches left on the schedule. The relegation playoff was about to take place between Grasshoppers, who finished 11th in the Super League, and Neuchâtel Xamax, the runners-up of the Challenge League. The first leg was set for Saturday, followed by the decisive return fixture on Tuesday.

Unsurprisingly, the press was clear: manager Gerald Scheiblehner’s entire future hung on the outcome of this fixture.

Headlines were also being made in Switzerland about rumors of a potential club takeover at FC Luzern.

The biggest news of the day, came from the Director of Football, Roger Stilz. St. Gallen officially locked in their first signing of the summer transfer window!

Marcus Mathisen has agreed to a deal to join the Swiss champions. The 30-year-old Danish centre-back, arriving from 1. FC Magdeburg, successfully cleared his medical checks in Switzerland. Head Physio Stephan Oberli gave him a completely clean bill of health.

Lawrence Ati-Zigi, has been called up to the FIFA World Cup with Ghana. Meanwhile, youth prospect Marko Starčević was called up to represent Croatia in the prestigious Toulon Tournament.

Three more players were called up for thier international tem's frendlies. Seeing his players recognized on the internationalmade Julien really proud.

At this moment I've hit continue and a days has passed. See you on:

Living in a Real-time save

Dear readers! I’m stepping out of the narrator’s role once again to speak to you as myself.

A month ago, I told you how this real-time journey completely ruined all other Football Manager saves for me. Back then, I was anxiously counting down the days to the Lausanne match. Today, I am sitting here waiting to see how our summer transfer window unfolds. Sometimes, I just want to sit down and play a whole month in one go, just to see how the transfers will turn out. It's been so incredibly exciting waiting for Tuesdays and Saturdays, just so I could finally play the matches. One match at a time. Honestly, maybe this anticipation is exactly why I haven't abandoned this save like I did with so many others after just a month or two. Because here, I am always genuinely looking forward to finally continuing the game.

Right now, while the pace of real-time events is slow, I’m planning to use the next few updates to give you a broader look at what went down across the other European leagues this season. On top of that, I’ve decided to activate the Austrian Bundesliga for the upcoming campaign. While it is highly unlikely Julien would leave St. Gallen for Austria right after lifting the trophy, realistically speaking, the Swiss champions should absolutely be scouting and picking from the top talents on the Austrian market.

Swiss Champions. Man, it still feels incredibly surreal to write those words. Just remember how we got here: there were only two games left in the regular season, and St. Gallen was sitting back in 5th place. Then, against all odds, we went on to winning seven out of seven matches to claim the title. To this day, I still don't quite know how we pulled that off.

I’ve never even played in the Swiss league before this. It would have never even crossed my mind, and yet, here we are.

One thing is absolutely certain: we are facing an incredibly tough summer ahead. Taking this squad and preparing them to compete in the Champions League is going to be a massive. The real work is just beginning.

Thank you for walking this unique path with me!

"Je suis Julien Gauthier!"

May 30th, 2026

On Saturday morning, the Gauthier family got into the blue Peugeot 508 for a much-anticipated weekend road trip. With their time in France getting very limited, Julien and Laura realized there was one iconic destination they simply could not leave behind without visiting: Mont Saint-Michel. Though the historic island was just a little over a two-hour drive of Le Havre, none of them had ever actually been there before.

The moment the silhouette of the abbey broke through the horizon, the entire car fell silent. Seeing it in person was a completely different experience than looking at pictures. They spent the weekend wandering through the narrow, winding streets of the medieval village, completely charmed by its atmosphere. For Julien, standing there with Laura and watching Camille and Louis at such an iconic place, it was the perfect, unforgettable farewell to Normandy—a beautiful memory to lock away before the family packed their bags. They only had a couple of weeks before Julien had to leave again.

While the children were in the restroom, the Juliens phone started buzzing. It was an email from Roger Stilz, and the contents brought a mixture of excitement and serious financial anxiety. St. Gallen had officially agreed to a deal to sign Gaetano Castrovilli.

The 29-year-old Italian attacking midfielder was arriving on a free transfer from SSC Bari, following their devastating relegation from Serie B. Yet, Julien knew the player's pedigree was undeniable; just a year prior, he was competing in Serie A with Lazio, and between 2020 and 2024, he had been an absolute pillar of Fiorentina's midfield.

Castrovilli agreed to a full-time contract until June 2029, for a weekly wage of £13,000. With this signing, St. Gallen was already spending above their allowed overall wage budget. Julien stared at the screen, running the numbers in his head. If Marcus Pedersen’s deal also crossed the finish line as planned, their transfer window would effectively be over before June even began.

Staring at the contract details on his screen, Julien immediately switched over to Messenger to type out a quick reply to the Director of Football.

"Let's wait and see what happens with the Pedersen deal first," Julien texted Roger Stilz. "Once that is settled, we'll sit down and review our remaining options with the scouting team."

Julien knew that rushing into any more financial commitments right now could be a big risk, especially as the swiss champions joins the Champions League in the champions path second qualifyng round, so they have to beat three opponents to secure a spot in the League Phase. It was time to hit the brakes, secure Pedersen, and reassess the transfer plans.

Julien didn't have to wait long for the answer he was looking for. The family was right in the middle of enjoying their lunch when another email notification chimed on his phone. The deal was officially done: Mads Pedersen had agreed to terms and signed with St. Gallen.

The 29-year-old Danish full-back was set to arrive from FC Augsburg for a transfer fee of £900K. Head Physio Stephan Oberli cleared Pedersen with a perfectly clean bill of health, and the defender signed a contract until June 2029 worth £14,500 per week. Pedersen made 22 appearances for Augsburg as they finished 13th in the Bundesliga, featuring mostly as a substitute. Although he was on higher wages in Germany, he accepted a pay cut to sign with St. Gallen, drawn by the promise of more playing time and the opportunity to compete in the Champions League.

Almost immediately after the email, a Messenger notification popped up from Roger Stilz in response to Julien's earlier message. It was short, sharp, and strictly professional:

"Recruitment meeting online Monday morning at 10 AM. Sending the Teams invite to you and the rest of the staff now."

With both Castrovilli and Pedersen secured, just a day after signing Mathisen, it seemed to be very tricky to sign anyone else. Monday morning would bring the ultimate test of their planning as they prepared to figure out how to navigate the rest of the window with very limited room left.

In the afternoon, the Gauthier family continued their trip completely undisturbed. Mont Saint-Michel proved to be a masterpiece not just from a distance, but as they war walking on the narrow streets of the village as well.

As they stepped through the stone gates, they found themselves transported back in time. It wasn't just the majestic abbey that left them speechless; the medieval village itself was absolutely enchanting. They spent hours getting lost in the narrow streets. Walking through these historic alleys with Laura and the children, Julien felt a deep sense of peace. This shared family adventure was exactly what he needed to recharge his batteries before heading back to Switzerland.

On Saturday early evening, back at the hotel after their magical day exploring Mont Saint-Michel, Julien checked his phone for the final score of the Swiss Super League playoff first leg. The result left him absolutely stunned. In a massive upset, the second-division underdogs Neuchâtel Xamax completely dismantled Grasshoppers with a 4-1 victory.

At this moment I've hit continue and a couple of days have passed. See you on:

June 1st, 2026

The Gauthier family spent Sunday morning their final hours wandering through the narrow, historic streets of Mont Saint-Michel. Following an early lunch, Julien happily took the wheel of the blue Peugeot 5008, navigating the roads back to Le Havre. It had been a truly wonderful weekend. From the backseat, the children happily chatted about their favorite parts of the trip.

Laura, sitting in the passenger seat, looked out at the passing Normandy landscape before turning to Julien with a soft smile.

"We really do have beautiful places here," she said.

As she spoke, a single tear rolled down her cheek. The sudden wave of homesickness caught her by surprise—a reminder that even though their bags weren't fully packed yet, the reality of leaving her homeland behind was beginning to sink in. Julien reached over, gently squeezing her hand, understanding the quiet weight of the massive sacrifice his family was making for his coaching career.

On Monday morning, while Laura handled the school run with the children, Julien settled in front of his laptop to prepare for the 10:00 AM recruitment meeting. The screen quickly filled with the familiar faces: Assistant Manager Fritz Schmid, Director of Football Roger Stilz, Chief Scout Nnamdi Aghanya, Head of Youth Development Mario Gilli, and Loan Manager Renato Fusco.

After a round of quick, warm greetings, Roger Stilz cleared his throat and broke the silence to get straight down to business.

"As I’ve already shared with all of you via email, we have already signed 3 great players," Stilz began, leaning into his camera. "Mads Pedersen, Marcus Mathisen, and Gaetano Castrovilli have all signed their contracts. Two of them are joining us on free transfers. However, there is a catch. With these three major signings, we have overshot our projected wage budget by roughly £16,000 per week."

The digital room fell quiet for a second, but Stilz quickly held up a hand to reassure the staff.

"This might sound catastrophic at first glance, but we have a clear escape route," the Director of Football explained, bringing up the squad spreadsheet. "If we can sell Stefano Giordano, Alessandro Vallici, Samuel Ayassa, and Dominik Becker as planned we will instantly offload their salaries. Together, selling those four players will free up approximately £25,000 per week in our wage budget."

Julien listened intently, staring at the names on the screen.

"Where do we stand with those sales right now?" Julien asked.

"As of right now, we don't have any concrete interest or formal offers on the table." 

Fritz Schmid interjected with a calm, reassuring tone. "The players are due back from their holidays in exactly two weeks because of our early Champions League qualifying schedule," the Assistant Manager added. "We still have time on our side until they report back to the training ground."

Julien nodded slowly. "Most of these players have contracts expiring at the end of next season" Julien noted, adjusting his notes. "We need to use these next two weeks to firmly decide who we absolutely want to extend. If we don't manage to sell anyone by the time they report back, we will just have to reallocate funds from our remaining transfer budget towards the wages. Speaking of which, where do we stand on the remaining transfer budget, Roger?"

"We currently have exactly £2.89 million" Stilz announced. “If we pull the trigger on a budget reallocation to cover the £16K weekly wage deficit right now, it would take just over £800.000. But if we want to use it to extend some contracts we'd need an extra £30.000, which would mean we have to reallocate about £2.3 million”

"So, does this mean we are pulling the plug on the Jean-Philippe Gbamin deal?" the Loan Manager Fusco asked, looking for clarification.

"Yes, unfortunately, that one is not going to happen," Julien confirmed. "But if you remember, we originally planned for four key profiles this summer: a center-back, a left-back, a defensive midfielder, and a true number 10. We have already secured three of those pieces, and we didn't even have to pay a transfer fee for two of them. So, here is the new plan! Let's start looking for defensive midfielders whose contracts are expiring, or players we can realistically acquire for a maximum of £1 million. For now, we will not make an official offer for anyone. We must put all our energy into finding buyers for the four players we previously discussed. Once June 15th arrives, we will sit down again and make our next moves based entirely on the outcome of those sales."

"Perfect. Let's get to work," Roger Stilz concluded with.

With everyone on the same page, the staff exchanged their final goodbyes and logged off the Teams meeting one by one.

At this moment I've hit continue and a day has passed. See you on:

June 2nd, 2026

On Monday evening, Julien spent a peaceful few hours happily listening to Camille practice. The house was filled with music as she went through her final preparations for her upcoming flute exam.

The next morning, the family split up early. Laura took Louis to school, while Julien drove a nervous but focused Camille to her music exam a little later. After dropping her off, Julien pulled out his phone in the car to check his emails and the news feeds while he was waiting. One scouting report after another hit his inbox. Nnamdi Aghanya’s team was working overtime, but in St. Gallen's current financial situation, Julien found it hard to muster much enthusiasm for them. He skimmed through the data just in case a special talent caught his eye for the future, but ultimately closed them without saving a single profile. The Swiss sports portals offered nothing new either, with the headlines still heavily focusing on St. Gallen’s impressive triple-signing of Pedersen, Mathisen, and Castrovilli.

As he mindlessly scrolled through his screen, calendar notification popped up with a bright chime:

"18th Anniversary Today!"

Julien’s heart almost stopped. He had completely forgotten. He looked up sharply, scanning the street, and a massive relief hit him as he spotted a charming little florist right next to the music school. He quickly got out of the car and bought a bouquet of fresh flowers for Laura. By the time he got back, Camille was walking out of the building with a beautiful smile; her exam had been a resounding success. They made one quick, secret stop at a local jeweler's shop to pick out a beautiful necklace for Laura before heading home, Camille also got one for her successful exam.

When they arrived home, Julien proudly presented the flowers and the necklace, wishing his wife a happy anniversary. Instead of tearing up, Laura looked at him with wide, absolutely terrified eyes. 

"Oh my god... I completely forgot!" 

For a second, there was total silence—and then they both burst into uncontrollable laughter. It turned out the hectic preparation for the big move to Switzerland had wiped both of their memories clean. Since Camille was a responsible girl now, she happily agreed to stay home by herself and keep an eye on things. With a few hours completely to themselves, Julien and Laura drove out to a beautiful local restaurant, spending a wonderful, quiet afternoon celebrating eighteen years of marriage, laughter, and shared adventures.

On their way back from the restaurant, Julien and Laura picked up Louis from school. They dropped Laura off at the apartment, and then Julien turned the car around to take his son to his evening football training. Standing by the touchline  Julien watched the session closely. Louis was running around with a lot of energy, and a massive smile on his face. He was clearly loving every single second of it, but watching him chase the ball only confirmed what Julien and Laura had laughed about earlier—the boy truly hadn't inherited his father’s genes. On the drive back home, Louis  said "Dad, I think maybe I won't be a famous football player like you".

Julien smiled  "You will be whatever you want to be, my boy," Julien replied softly. "Whatever you want to be." With those reassuring words hanging in the air, the two drove home together in the blue Peugeot.

Later that evening, after the children had gone to sleep, Julien and Laura settled onto the couch to finish their anniversary with a relaxing movie. Julien purposely kept his phone face down, completely disconnecting from the football world for a few hours to focus entirely on his wife. It was only after the credits when he picked up his device to check the final score from Zürich. Neuchâtel Xamax had traveled to the Letzigrund and secured a 2-0 victory over Grasshoppers. Xamax won 6-1 on aggregate in the playoff, and promoted to the Super League, while the 27 times Super League champions, and 19 times cup winner Grashoppers relegated.

At this moment I've hit continue and a few days have passed. See you on:

For once, we are looking a few days ahead.

June 5th, 2026

The rest of the week passed by completely uneventfully, with the quiet routine of family life in Le Havre. However, the calm was briefly interrupted on Wednesday when a scouting report landed in Julien's inbox.

The report was about Demir Xhemalija, a highly promising 19-year-old defensive midfielder currently playing for FC Luzern. The young Swiss U21 international immediately caught Julien's attention. He looked like the perfect target to fit into the team. Deeply impressed by what he saw, Julien saved the player's profile to his personal shortlist. He immediately reached out to Nnamdi Aghanya and the recruitment team, requesting a much more detailed analysis and a full background check on the young midfielder. This Swiss starlet could very well be the missing piece of their puzzle.

On Friday morning, Julien received an email confirming the retirement of the club's oldest staff member. Werner Zünd, the veteran 78-year-old scout who had been working for St. Gallen since January 2023, officially decided to step away from professional football.

Reading the notification immediately triggered a memory for Julien. During his end-of-season evaluations, he had reached an agreement with club chairman Matthias Hüppi to expand the backroom staff. The plan was to increase the scouting team by two positions and add one more physiotherapist to the medical department to cope with the packed fixture schedule. Zünd's departure created yet another vacancy to fill. Julien immediately created a reminder on his phone to set up a meeting for Monday morning with Technical Director Jan Breitenmoser.

June 6th, 2026

Because of the brutally early Champions League qualifying schedule, this was destined to be Julien’s very last full weekend with his family in Le Havre. On Monday the 15th, the players would already be returning for their first pre-season training sessions, meaning Julien's quiet days in France were running out.

Knowing how precious these final hours were, the family didn't plan any road trips for the weekend. On Staturday morning, Julien looked at his phone found international match reports of his players in his mailbox. “It's probably worth taking a look at this Croatioan guy”, he thought.

The rest of the morning was spent setting up the backyard. They had invited a few close friends over for a relaxed farewell barbecue before the big move. Among the guests was Nicolas Douchez, one of Julien’s oldest and closest friends from the football world. The two had become inseparable back when Julien was coming through the ranks as a young player at Le Havre. Years later, in 2022, it was actually upon Julien’s strong personal recommendation that Luka Elsner brought Douchez back to the club as the first-team goalkeeping coach. Sitting in the warm June sun, enjoying the grilled food and the beer while watching the kids play, the two old friends laughed about past battles on the pitch and discussed the wild challenges awaiting Julien in the Champions League. It was the most perfect weekend he could imagine.

June 7th, 2026

Sunday morning started with a slight hangover. Fortunately, it was nothing that a long, hot shower, a strong cup of coffee, and a hearty family breakfast couldn't completely fix. Once he felt human again, Julien picked up his phone to check the latest international dispatches. More excellent news had arrived from the national team camps. Lawrence Ati-Zigi had put on a stellar performance for Ghana on June 6th, playing the full 90 minutes and securing a clean sheet in a 0-0 friendly draw against Jamaica. Just days before the World Cup officially kicked off, it was a massive confidence boost for the reliable St. Gallen shot-stopper. Seeing his number one goalkeeper in peak form on the world stage brought a proud smile to Julien’s face as he settled into the couch to enjoy the rest of the Sunday with Laura and the children.

Shortly after breakfast, the phone rang. It was Roger Stilz, and he was calling with the exact kind of update Julien had been hoping for. Three clubs had stepped forward with formal offers for 30-year-old central defender Albert Vallci, who they have transfer listed.

Vallci, who was under contract until June 2029 with an £8.5K-a-week salary, had drawn interest from Belgian giants RSC Anderlecht, Saudi Pro League outfit Neom SC, and Julien's hometown club, Havre AC. All three teams tabled opening bids hovering around the £800K–£850K mark. Knowing the player’s true market value was £1.1 million, Julien didn't hesitate.

"Let's push back and see if we can get our asking price," Julien told the Director of Football. Stilz immediately went back to the negotiating table with a strict counter-offer: £1.1 million, paid fully upfront in one single installment, with no additional clauses or future fee structures attached. Both Havre AC and Neom SC instantly pulled out, unwilling to meet the higher price tag. However, RSC Anderlecht accepted the terms unconditionally, locking in the £1.1M fee. With the agreement officially finalized, Julien could only wait to see if Vallci would accept the personal terms offered by the Belgian side, which would successfully get his £8.5K weekly wage off St. Gallen's books.

The family fully embraced a lazy, cozy rainy-day vibe inside the apartment. For lunch, they skipped cooking altogether and ordered pizzas, eating right out of the boxes. The afternoon was filled with board games and loud laughter around the dining table, followed by a family movie marathon wrapped up in blankets on the couch. This was exactly how Julien wanted to spend his final week in France.

At this moment I've hit continue and a day has passed. See you on: