June 23rd, 2026

On Tuesday morning, Julien met with Renato Fusco to evaluate the loan players returning in a week and determine their plans for the upcoming season. Out of the ten players on loan, some had already been discussed briefly, but it was time to focus entirely on their future roles.

They began with the goalkeepers. In the case of Bela Dumrath, who was returning from a loan spell at German lower-league side Stuttgarter Kickers, they quickly established that the 22-year-old was not at the level required for the first team. As a result, he was placed on the transfer list.

The situation was different for Gentrit Muslija, who had spent the season as the starting goalkeeper at Wil, a side relegated in last place from the second division. Both men knew the 20-year-old was close to first-team quality, but Julien maintained that keeping him on the bench would be a mistake.

"It is not fair to Watkowiak either," Julien said, leaning back. "He covered for Ati-Zigi in four competitive matches last season and kept three clean sheets. He earned his place as number two, and he just signed a new contract with us"

"Muslija played through a difficult relegation battle and held his ground. We should integrate him now, let him challenge Zigi. He needs to feel the pressure of the top tier here, under your eyes."

"He needs ninety minutes every weekend, Renato, not the bench," Julien countered. "A young goalkeeper stops developing the moment he sits down. We loan him to a club where he plays."

"Fine," Fusco said, his voice tightening. "But that means we must sign a third-choice keeper. You already refused to extend Höhener’s contract because you do not value his quality. Now Muslija is too good to keep, so you send him away again."

Julien understood Fusco’s frustration. The loan manager had found the perfect loan deal twelve months ago to trigger the player's development. Now, despite proving his capability, the hierarchy of the squad left no room for the academy product.

Next on the list was Tarik Seferovic. The 19-year-old Bosnian Under-21 international defender had spent his loan spell at Stade-Lausanne-Ouchy, making 12 appearances as the club narrowly missed out on promotion from the second division. Seferovic had two years remaining on his contract with St. Gallen. Julien and Fusco agreed to send him out on loan for another season, though neither man anticipated a long-term future for the player at the club.

There was one more defender left on the list, Konrad Faber. The club had wanted to extend his contract, but negotiations had broken down because Faber demanded an important player status. Julien refused to grant it, knowing the player would never reach that level in this squad. He was currently on the transfer list, and Dynamo Dresden had already submitted an official bid for him.

"If he rejects them, I think you should try to convince him to accept a squad player role," Fusco noted.

"Yes, I have considered that," Julien replied. "But I am definitely not giving in to his demands. We will see what happens with Dresden first, then we figure out our next move."

Four central midfielders were among the loan players. The 23-year-old Edis Bytyqi had played alongside Muslija at Wil, making 28 appearances, while 18-year-old Jan Schultes had played in a lower division for Rorschach-Goldach. Both had contracts running until 2027, but Fusco and Gauthier agreed that keeping them would be pointless. Both players were placed on the transfer list.

The remaining two central midfielders were 18-year-old Bosnian Under-21 international Benjamin Kadiric and 19-year-old Nino Weibel. Both had spent the season playing in the Swiss lower divisions and held contracts running until 2028. Julien was particularly impressed with Kadiric’s performance, but recognized that the midfielder would receive limited playing time at St. Gallen under the current circumstances. They agreed to try to loan both players to second-division clubs for the upcoming campaign.

Two wingers remained for the end. Kevin Csoboth, a 26-time Hungarian international whom Renato Fusco had been trying to pitch to Julien for a while, and 21-year-old Enoch Owusu, who spent the previous season at Stade Lausanne-Ouchy. Now that they were less occupied with the immediate demands of the first team, Julien found himself increasingly impressed by the Hungarian international's profile.

"He is quick and dribbles well," Julien said. "He is genuinely going to get a chance. I will watch him closely over the summer."

"Yes!" Fusco said, triumphantly clenching his fist.

"Owusu, however, we send out on loan for another year, and then we decide next season," Julien added.

"He only has one year remaining on his contract, Julien," Fusco countered.

"Even so. In his case, I think we should wait it out."

With that, they concluded the meeting.

"Thank you, Renato, I think we will be strong again next season," Julien said.

"Just think about Muslija again," Fusco replied as he left.

Julien grabbed a coffee, and his next meeting began immediately after with Stephan Oberli, the head physio. Lukas Daschner would likely be able to join the team for the second half of the pre-season training camp. Christian Witzig, however, still faced nearly two months on the sidelines. It would take a full month before he could even begin light movements without the ball.

They did not have to wait long for Konrad Faber's decision. He rejected the offer from Dynamo Dresden. Julien immediately asked Stilz to try and convince the player to accept their original proposal, though Julien did not attend the meeting himself this time. The Director of Football later notified him via message that Faber refused to sign under those conditions.

"That is that, then," Julien said.

By that afternoon, the player found himself training with the Under-21 squad.

Julien rushed home after the training sessions. In the late afternoon, the first pieces of furniture ordered by Léa arrived. Slowly, the apartment began to resemble a home, or at least it now had a sofa and a proper dining table. A proper bed would be the next necessity. In the evening, he turned on the television but fell asleep during the late match, missing the biggest upset of the World Cup so far: 

Thomas Christiansen's Panama defeated Lionel Scaloni's Argentina one-nil in Houston.

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

June 22nd, 2026

The previous afternoon, Julien finally managed to speak with Laura and the children. They discussed the details of the upcoming trip to Como; Laura and Julien would travel there, while Louis and Camille would attend a summer camp in Bordeaux. During the video call, Julien showed the family around the apartment once more. Camille seemed to have accepted the move, liking the designs for her room that Léa had prepared. Louis and his father talked about the World Cup matches. Despite not being a skilled football player himself, the young boy was highly interested in the games. In the evening, Julien watched France play against Nigeria, a match that secured France's qualification from the group stage.

The previous evening, Julien received the match reports on Stade Nyonnais from Jonas Maier. On Monday, he began analyzing them with Fritz Schmid. The first notable detail was that the upcoming opponent was one of the teams that attempted the most headers and had the highest heading accuracy in the Swiss second division. They decided to prepare the players to keep the ball on the ground, avoid forcing set-pieces, and concede as few of these opportunities to the opponent as possible.

The second notable statistic was that Stade Nyonnais had a very high tackle success rate. To counter this, they decided to place the tactical emphasis on quicker passing sequences and shorter individual ball retention.

Roger Stilz, the Director of Football, replaced Schmid in Julien's office. They sat down at the negotiation table again with Behar Neziri, who had fired his agent a week prior because he could not reach an agreement on a contract extension with St. Gallen. The negotiations did not proceed any easier with the new agent. Playing time remained the central point of contention. They demanded an important player status, whereas Julien only intended to offer a regular player role. Ultimately, Julien convinced himself that he needed the 23-year-old Albanian international, who had appeared in every match during the previous season. Furthermore, Neziri had been one of the lowest-paid players in the squad; his new salary of £4,000 per week almost doubled his previous earnings. They finally signed a new contract running until 2029.

While reading the Swiss sports portals, a piece of news caught his eye. Thun, who had been relegated in last place, appointed Dennis Hediger as their new manager. Julien reflected on this for a moment. He had no prior managerial experience either when he started, and Aghanya, who was appointed by Bellinzona the previous week, had spent 13 years as chief scout at St. Gallen. He thought about how much more courageously teams here turn to rookie managers compared to anywhere else he had worked before.

In the early evening, Switzerland played their World Cup match against Jordan. The coaching staff and the players watched the game together in the video room at the Kybunpark. 

Christian Witzig, who had suffered a severe lower leg fracture during a tackle in the final match against Luzern, also attended. He arrived on crutches, having missed out on the final World Cup squad despite being named in the preliminary selection. The frustration was visible on his face; he had been in the form of his life at the end of the season. Julien pulled him aside for a brief conversation. He told Witzig that at twenty-five, time was still on his side, and his immediate focus had to remain entirely on his rehabilitation with the specialist. Julien emphasized that the team needed him fully recovered for the upcoming Champions League qualifiers, as his return would be crucial for the squad. 

Goals from Andi Zeqiri in the 74th minute and Nico Elvedi in the 79th minute secured the three points, allowing them to look ahead to the final group stage match against Algeria with confidence. After the match, Julien got into his car and drove back to the Gossau apartment, which still echoed with emptiness.

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

Today we reach Monday, June 22.

June 19th, 2026

On Friday morning, Léa showed Julien the finalized interior designs of the apartment. "Laura and the kids will be at her parents' house tomorrow," Léa said, packing her tablet into her bag. "I’m going to stop by Saint-Pierre-de-Chartreuse for a couple of days too before heading back to Lyon. I always like staying with the Morels." She paused, "I forgot to give you this on Wednesday. It was meant for your birthday."

 She handed Julien a photograph of their parents, smiling together during their last holiday in Nice back in 2019. "I never thought it would be their last one," Léa whispered.  "Thank you. I’m taking this to my office. It will always be on my desk." Léa picked up her luggage, Julien drove her to the train station before he went to Kybunpark.

Julien and Fritz Schmid met early to finalise the line-up for the opening pre-season friendly against Stade Lausanne-Ouchy. The starting eleven was pinned to the dressing room noticeboard before the players arrived. Lots of subs at half-time. Julien added to the bottom of the sheet.

Later that morning, the squad for the upcoming pre-season training camp in Monthey was finalized. There was very little debate between Julien and Schmid regarding the selections. The criteria remained simple: every healthy player who had not yet agreed to terms with a new club was included. Youth team midfielders Marko Starčević and Nevio Scherrer were called up to gain first-team experience. The injured Lukas Daschner, along with summer signings Gaetano Castrovilli, Marcus Mathisen, and Mads Pedersen will join later.

The staff and the squad shared lunch together in the club canteen before heading out for a light afternoon training session. After the training session, Julien stopped by Gilli's Pub later that evening with goalkeeping coach Pascal Zuberbühler. They spent the hour looking over the World Cup standings and debating the prospects of both France and Switzerland. "I think we will win it," Julien said, pointing to the Group G table on his phone. "Anything less than the semi-finals is a complete failure for this squad. We started well against Italy—our toughest group opponent. It wasn't smooth, but we got the three points. That victory should secure us the top spot in the group."

"Easy for you to say," Gilli laughed, wiping down the counter. "France is a serious contender, but Switzerland shouldn't have any issues either." Julien glanced at the Group J standings on the screen. Switzerland sat third after their defeat to Germany, with Algeria leading the pack. "Absolutely," Zuberbühler added, leaning over his beer. "We almost snatched a point against the Germans. There is no way we drop points against Jordan and Algeria. With a bit of luck in the knockout draws, this Swiss team can reach the quarter-finals." Julien nodded, finishing his drink. The tournament was a welcome distraction, but his mind was already shifting toward the morning and the reality of the pre-season match.

"What do you think about Lawrence's chances?" Gilli asked, nodding toward the Group F standings.

"They started well," Julien said.

"Yes, and Lawrence made some crucial saves," Zuberbühler added. "But I don't know. That group is incredibly tough."

"True," Gilli agreed. "Portugal and Croatia are still the clear favourites of this group."

Julien stared at the screen, watching Ghana sit level at the top with Portugal after the first round. "If Lawrence shuts up shop against the Croats..." he muttered quietly.

"To Lawrence," they cheered, clinking their glasses together before finishing their drinks and heading home.

June 20th, 2026

Matchday at Kybunpark, St. Gallen

The match itself was complete trash. It was probably the most boring football match ever played on Earth Carlo Boukhalfa scored in the 92nd minute to seal the win.

"An incredibly boring match," Julien said in the dressing room after the final whistle. "We struggled to create, and we should have scored more. Maybe we shouldn't have played this game at all."

"At least nobody on our side got injured, That’s the only positive from the opening week."

Julien thanked the players for their physical effort, told them to forget the performance, and gave the entire squad Sunday off to rest.

When Julien arrived home after the match, an email from Roger Stilz was waiting in his inbox. SG Dynamo Dresden activated the release clause for Konrad Faber, submitting a formal bid of £300K. When the German wing-back refused to sign his contract extension he was transfer listed anyway, so everyone was happy. Then Julien kept reading the mail. Faber wasn't interested in joining Dresden permanenly so now they have to wait.

In the afternoon, Julien tried to call Laura from the flat, but they could barely hold a proper conversation. The line was noisy, and the kids were shouting in the background. Laura, Camille, and Louis were already on the road to Saint-Pierre-de-Chartreuse to stay with the Morel grandparents.

"I'll call you once we arrive," Laura said before they hung up. Julien tossed his phone onto the mattress.

Later that night, Julien sat alone in the flat to watch Ghana face Croatia in their second World Cup group match. To everyone's surprise, the Africans took the initiative early on. The match went into half-time at 0–0; Ati-Zigi had very little to do, but he handled his few interventions with absolute confidence. In the 63rd minute, Mohammed Kudus broke the deadlock to give Ghana the lead, and the midfielder struck again in the 93rd minute to make it 2–0. Ati-Zigi finished the match as one of Ghana's standout performers. With six points from two games, his country qualified for the Round of 32 regardless of the final group stage results. Julien was genuinely happy for his goalkeeper, but he held his head in his hands. He knew what this meant. A Swiss league title followed by a clean-sheet masterclass at the World Cup would inevitably draw attention from the Top 5 European leagues.

He opened his phone and sent a message to Roger Stilz: Start drawing up a list of alternative goalkeepers. Just in case.

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

Look who's back! Good luck with the new team!

This time we will look a few days ahead

June 16th, 2026

On Tuesday morning, they were still eating breakfast at the same plastic table they had used for Sunday's lunch.

"I wasn’t resting while you were working yesterday," Léa said, pulling out her tablet. "I already showed this to Laura. Look, if you like it, I’ll start ordering the furniture, and I’ll finish both kids' rooms by tomorrow."

She turned the screen toward him, showing the visual plan of the living room and the kitchen.  Julien had a sip of his coffee and nodded. "Get it done. It looks like a home."

Shortly after breakfast, an email arrived from Roger Stilz. For the first time in weeks, a scouting report actually caught Julien’s attention. 

Lassine Sinayoko had been a squad player for Auxerre, who just finished fifth in Ligue 1. Julien liked the profile of the 26-year-old Mali international, who had already earned thirty caps for his country. If they could pull off the transfer, Sinayoko would fight for the starting spot on the right wing with Fabio Fehr. On the left, Tiamoko Ouattara and Christian Witzig would compete for the role, leaving Kevin Csoboth as the versatile third option capable of covering either flank during injuries or suspensions. Julien asked the DoF to contact his agent straight away.

However, the representative demanded an immediate "Star Player" status for his client, a condition Julien refused to meet. The negotiation collapsed before it could even start. Sinayoko was moved to the primary shortlist instead. Julien and Roger agreed to step away for now and try again once his contract officially expired at the end of the month.

Tuesday’s training session could not have gone any worse. Head physio Stephan Oberli brought the bad news right after the squad left the pitch.

Lukas Daschner had suffered a groin strain after twisting sharply during a possession drill. The medical staff estimated a recovery time of two to three weeks, meaning the German attacking midfielder would miss the training camp.

Later that evening, there was a World Cup match at a reasonable hour. Julien and his core staff ended up back at Gilli’s Pub, with Léa joining them once again.

They watched France face Italy over a few drinks. Didier Deschamps' side secured a tight 1–0 victory, decided by an Ousmane Dembélé goal. Right after the final whistle, everyone headed straight home.

June 17th, 2026

Léa finished the digital renderings for Camille and Louis’s bedrooms right after breakfast. Julien reviewed the layout on her tablet. The designs looked great.

"Perfect," Julien said.

Roger Stilz sent an urgent notification regarding the academy setup. Four lower-league Swiss clubs—SC Binningen, FC La Tour/Le Pâquier, FC Châtel-St-Denis, and FC Unterstrass—have offered a contract to seventeen-year-old youth striker Jonas Nushi. His youth contract was set to expire at the end of the month.

Julien called Mario Gilli.

"Nushi has real talent," the head of youth development said over the phone. "We shouldn't let him walk away." Based on Gilli’s assessment, Julien instructed Stilz to counter the interest. St. Gallen also offered a contract to keep him at the club.

The UEFA Champions League Champions Path second qualifying round draw took place later that afternoon.

St. Gallen learned their European campaign would officially begin on July 21st. The draw paired them against the winner of the first qualifying round tie between Northern Irish side Coleraine and Lithuanian champions Žalgiris. 

"Manageable," Julien said, staring at the official UEFA confirmation sheet on his desk.

When Julien arrived home on Wednesday evening, his phone rang again. Laura and the children were on the screen, calling from Le Havre to wish him a happy forty-sixth birthday. Camille and Louis took turns showing him their final school projects. Before they hung up, Julien mentioned the apartment progress. "Léa is almost completely finished with the design" he said. It was the best part of the day.

June 18th, 2026

When Julien woke up on Thursday morning, he reached straight for his phone on the floor. He had been too exhausted to stay up for the late-night (or early morning) World Cup match. The screen showed a disappointing result. Switzerland had lost 2–1 to Germany in their group stage match. The German's opened the scoring in the 5th minute, and though Miro Muheim managed to equalise from the penalty spot in the 64th, a late 88th-minute strike meant Germany won 2-1. Julien locked his phone, stood up from his mattress, and headed to the kitchen to have a coffee. “I'd need a proper bed” he told Léa. They laughed.

The headline of the day arrived in Julien's inbox before the morning training session began. Haris Louris had agreed to terms to become St. Gallen's new Chief Scout. The Greek scout rejected a renewal offer from Reggiana to make the move.

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

(we will play this on Thursday)

June 15th, 2026

Julien woke up with a headache. He took the train from Gossau to St. Gallen. The journey took only a few minutes. 

He bumped into Jan Breitenmoser, the technical director, by the coffee machine. 

"This coffee is still absolute shit," Julien said, rubbing his temples as they walked toward his office.

"We need to replace Nnamdyi," Breitenmoser said, cutting straight to business.

"Let's see if we have anyone in-house we can promote to chief scout." Julien leaned against his desk. 

"Honestly, Kei Tamura would be the logical choice. But he just signed with us. It wouldn't be fair to the scouts who have been here for years, but I expected we'd talk about it" Breitenmoser replied, opening a profile on his laptop. "So I did some homework. Haris Louris. Currently at Reggiana. He has seventeen years of experience, worked in several countries, and his knowledge base is incredibly broad."

Julien looked at the screen. The 38-year-old Greek scout had stints at Torino, Norwich, and Trabzonspor. His scouting network covered England, Italy, Germany, and France. He looked exactly what St. Gallen. They reached an agreement quickly. As soon as Breitenmoser stepped out of the office, he mobilised his contacts. Before the morning was over, St. Gallen had already submitted an official contract offer to Louris.

Before the morning training session, Julien had a meeting with Lukas Görtler. They spoke for a long time. Julien was completely honest with him.

"Look Lukas, a few new players are arriving this year, but you remain our captain, our highest-paid player, and our most important asset," Julien said, leaning back in his chair. "We are talking to a lot of players today about the future. Some will get new contracts. But Lukas, you will be thirty-four by the time your current deal expires in two years. We might only discuss an extension closer to that date. Do you have a problem with that?"

Görtler leaned back and shrugged. "Thanks, boss. As long as I'm playing, I don't care about that. Who knows what the next two years will bring. Maybe I won't be able to, or won't want to play at this level anymore. I just ask you to tell me when I'm no longer needed."

They shook hands, and then the real work began. Roger Stilz arrived at the office, and the players started coming in one by one. They scheduled strict thirty-minute meetings with each of them. Fehr, Ambrosius, Stanić, Fazliji, Witzig, van der Gaal, Watkowiak, Boukhalfa, Vandermersch, and Daschner all signed their new contracts. The renewals added a combined £3,050 per week to the club's total wage bill. However, negotiations failed with three players.

Julien stayed in the office with Stilz to discuss the remaining three names. Konrad Faber was the easiest case. The German wing-back had just returned from a loan spell at Dynamo Dresden, where the team finished dead last in the 2. Bundesliga. Despite the relegation, Faber refused to back down on his squad status. He demanded to become an "Important Player," but in his position, Vandermersch was the number one choice. Julien put Fritz Schmid on speakerphone.They refused to lie to a player about guaranteed minutes just to force a signature. Faber was placed on the transfer list immediately. With only one year left on his contract, St. Gallen needed to sell him now before losing him for nothing next summer.

Chima Okoroji’s situation was similar, but it required a different approach. He had been the first-choice left-back, but the arrival of Mads Pedersen meant Okoroji’s playing time would likely drop. He also demanded guarantees that Julien could not provide. However, unlike Faber, Okoroji’s contract ran until 2028. Julien and Stilz decided not to rush a sale. They decided to keep him as cover and re-evaluate his situation at the end of next season.

The final meeting was with Behar Neziri. The negotiations collapsed quickly over his wage demands, as the two sides remained too far apart. Julien and Stilz decided not to force the issue immediately. Neziri was a young talent with time on his side, so they chose to pause the talks and planned to restart contract talks in a few weeks. 

"This was easier than I expected," Stilz said, closing his briefcase.

"Yes, but we probably overstretched the wage budget," Julien replied. He rubbed the back of his neck, the hangover finally fading. "Can you run the scouting department until we find Nnamdyi’s replacement?"

"Of course," Stilz nodded. "I know... we need a right-back to compete with Vandermersch. I’ll handle it."

Stilz had barely stepped out of the office when the corridor rumors began to circulate. Julien was back at the coffee machine when his phone rand.

The DoF called him. Behar Neziri was clearly furious about the morning’s failed contract discussions. Instead of letting the situation sit for a few weeks, the young Albanian midfielder took immediate action and sacked his agent, Manfred Bär. Neziri wanted a deal with St. Gallen, and he blamed his representative for the breakdown.

In the afternoon another notification arrived from Roger Stilz. Jésah Ayessa had agreed terms to leave the club and return to France, signing with Ligue 2 side Amiens SC. He had been a fringe player in the title-winning squad.

Before leaving the facility, Julien met with Fritz Schmid to review the squad's daily training metrics and begin basic preparations for the weekend friendly against Stade Lausanne-Ouchy. They did not dive as deeply into the data as they would for a league fixture, but a report from performance analyst Jonas Maier highlighted something interesting.

The Challenge League side shoot often last season, but these were mostly low qualities.

"They manage more shots on target per match than the league average," Schmid noted, pointing at the analytical scatter plot on the monitor. "But their average chance quality is worse than most teams. They take low-quality shots from distance."

"We pack the box and force them wide," Julien said, shutting down his computer. 

At this point I've hit continue, and a day has passed, see you on:

But before that, as mentioned earlier, I ve added the Austrian league:

June 14th, 2026

Laura pinned a note to the fridge for Camille and Louis before they left, she drove Julien and Léa to the Charles de Gaulle airport. They just had a short goodbye before Laura had to leave. Julien watched her car pull away turning toward the security gates with Léa.

They were both reading on the flight to Zürich, but Julien stopped for a moment. "Mario Gilli is hosting a farewell to a colleague tonight" Julien told his sister  "Just a few close staff at his pub in town. You should come." Léa looked up from her book. "I’d love to. It’s better than sitting in an empty flat."

They took the train from Zürich Airport to Gossau, caught a taxi, and arrived at the apartment around one o'clock. "Well, this is it," Julien said. "I have two beds ready, and we can eat at that table." He pointed to the garden table with four chairs sitting in the middle of the dining room. Their footsteps echoed through the flat. "Julien, this is beautiful," Léa said. "Don't worry about the furniture, that's why I'm here." They ordered pizza for lunch and ate it straight out of the cardboard boxes.

After lunch, Julien cleaned the cardboard boxes off the garden table and unlocked his phone. A few new scout reports filled his inbox, forwarded by the recruitment team. He skimmed through them quickly, dismissing most because of high transfer fees or wage demands that St. Gallen simply could not afford. However a notification from Elena Meçe, the club's press officer, made him stop. It was official. Bellinzona had just released the formal press announcement. Nnamdyi Aghanya was their new manager. Julien locked the screen and tossed the phone onto the plastic table. 

Before Julien could stand up, his phone buzzed on the table. The screen showed Fritz Schmid’s name.

Julien answered, putting the call on speaker. “Hey, about your message from yesterday. I've planned something” he started

"I was thinking we should book a match for the very first weekend, we need to make sure the boys don’t get bored with just fitness training. They need to play, and they need to play a lot."

 Julien leaned over the garden table. "Agreed, but I don’t want a meaningless kickabout. At the same time, let’s not pick an opponent that is too big a bite for the opening week." 

They debated names for a few minutes, filtering through regional options and Swiss lower-league sides. 

"Stade Lausanne-Ouchy," Julien said. "They just finished third in the Challenge League. It’s a proper test but manageable."

"At home?"  Schmid asked. 

"Yes. We start the preparation at home."

The conversation with Fritz Schmid lasted nearly forty-five minutes. They went back and forth over dates, travel logistics, and squad rotation before finalising the summer schedule. The plan was built to gradually increase the intensity:

• June 20: Stade Lausanne-Ouchy (Home) – A solid opening test against the side that finished third in the Challenge League.
• June 28: Stade Nyonnais (Away) – A short break from the training camp to build match fitness.
• July 4: Neuchâtel Xamax (Away) – A trip to face the newly promoted Super League side. Julien would already be away on his family holiday.
• July 8: Grasshoppers (Home) – A mid-week fixture at Kybunpark against a recently relegated giant looking to prove a point.
• July 11: Red Bull Salzburg (Home) – A test against European regulars.

Neither of them was entirely sure when their first Champions League qualifying round would take place. They decided to wait for the draw, to finalise their plans.

"We leave the rest open for now," Julien said. "Let's talk again once the draw is out."

“Tonight at Gilli's” Schmid asked.

“Yes, 6PM sharp”

They hung up, and Schmid started to organise the matches.

The phone rang again. It was Sebastian Rickenbacher from The Swiss Football Free Press.

"Nnamdyi spent thirteen years building the scouting foundations of this club. He earned this opportunity, and we respect his decision. We wish him nothing but the best in the Challenge League." Replied Julien, and he hoped that was it for today.

Fritz Schmid did not waste time. By late afternoon, he had already worked through the contacts and booked all the friendlies. Julien checked his phone one last time before leaving the flat. A series of short confirmation emails sat in his inbox. Every invited club had accepted the proposal for the friendly fixtures.

Julien grabbed his jacket and nodded to his sister. It was time.

On the train  from Gossau to St. Gallen, Julien checked the  World Cup news. Lawrence Ati-Zigi played in Ghana's opening group match against Qatar at the Estadio Monterrey.

Ghana secured a 3–1 victory, and Ati-Zigi delivered a solid performance.

By 6:00 PM, the usual staff had gathered at Gilli’s Pub & Bar.  The pub belonged to Mario Gilli, the club's head of youth development, whose family had run the place for generations.

The core of St. Gallen’s staff was there. Mario Gilli, Fritz Schmid, Elena Meçe, Pascal Zuberbühler, first-team coach Alain Meyer, loan manager Renato Fusco, and U18 manager Nicolas Lüchinger were already settled in. Léa sat next to Julien. Nnamdyi Aghanya sat at the head of the table, raising a glass as the Gauthiers walked in.

The evening ended in heavy drinking and lot of football talk. By midnight, the entire table was drunk. Julien called an Uber to take him and Léa back to Gossau.

Inside the quiet car, Léa leaned her head against the cool glass of the window, looking out at the passing streetlights. "Elena likes you," she said, her voice slightly slurred. "My brother has an admirer, that’s for sure." Julien didn't say a word.

When the Uber dropped them off in Gossau, they they went straight to sleep.

"My God, how am I going to get up tomorrow?"

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

June 13th, 2026

On Saturday morning, while the children were still asleep, Julien joined a Teams meeting with his core staff. Assistant Manager Fritz Schmid, Director of Football Roger Stilz, Chief Scout Nnamdi Aghanya, Head of Youth Development Mario Gilli, and Loan Manager Renato Fusco all connected. The main objective of the meeting was to review the squad and decide whose contracts should be extended and whose should not. The discussion began with Stilz announcing that Amiens, who had finished 10th in Ligue 2, had submitted a £54,000 offer for Jésah Ayessa. The staff quickly agreed to accept the bid.

Stilz continued. He announced that Albert Vallci had accepted an offer from Anderlecht, adding £1.1 million to St. Gallen's transfer budget. Furthermore, offloading both Vallci and Ayessa had a positive impact on the payroll, instantly freeing up a combined £12,000 per week in the wage budget.

Right at that moment, Nnamdi Aghanya spoke up. He calmly reported on a phone call he had received the previous evening: AC Bellinzona, who had finished 6th in the Swiss Challenge League, had offered him their vacant manager position. Julien and Roger Stilz almost fell off their chairs. While they were aware of some interest, neither expected an approach this quickly. The news brought mixed emotions to the call. On one hand, everyone was thrilled for their colleague’s great career opportunity—Aghanya had been a loyal servant to St. Gallen since 2013. On the other hand, Julien knew they were losing an incredibly knowledgeable specialist, though the club would at least be due £130,000 in compensation. One by one, the screen filled with smiles as the entire staff congratulated Nnamdi on his well-deserved breakthrough into management.

The meeting continued with a review of the club's financial situation. While Vallci's sale left St. Gallen in a comfortable position, a quick calculation of incoming player salaries against the departures revealed they would be overspending by roughly £10,000 to £12,000 per week. To fix this, they decided to adjust the budgets by moving £2 million from the £4.02 million transfer budget to the wage budget to secure their long-term financial stability.

Next, the staff evaluated the players whose contracts would expire by the end of the 2026/27 season at the latest. It had already been decided that Probst and Höhener would leave the club this summer, while Becker has been put up for sale, and Efekele would be sent out on loan. Shqiprim Vladi's loan deal would not be extended, meaning he would return to Lugano. Meanwhile, Fehr, Ambrosius, Faber, Stanić, Fazliji, Witzig, Gaal, Watkowiak, and Boukhalfa would all be invited to contract renewal talks early next week. Aside from the five departures, the club aimed to extend contracts with everyone entering their final year.

Finally, they reviewed the players whose contracts ran until the end of the 2027/28 season. Ayessa was close to joining Amiens, and Simone Giordano was transfer listed earlier. Albian Ajeti had already signed his permanent contract, ensuring his future with St. Gallen, while Aliou Baldé would return to Nice. Renewing Chima Okoroji, Hugo Vandermersch, Behar Neziri, and Lukas Daschner was a priority, with talks scheduled for early next week, whereas Vinni Triboulet’s future would only be decided at the end of next season. On the recommendation of Loan Manager Renato Fusco, Julien agreed to give Kevin Csoboth a chance during pre-season following his return from loan, though the French manager remained unconvinced that the Hungarian winger had a future in his squad. The biggest question mark remained the club captain, Lukas Görtler. He would turn 32 on Monday and be 34 by the time his current deal expired. Despite his immense popularity among fans, players, and staff, extending his contract right now made no financial sense. Julien decided to speak with him face-to-face on Monday about his future.

"That concludes today's meeting," Julien announced, before asking Mario Gilli to stay on the call for a minute. "Wait, I have one last surprise for you," Aghanya interrupted. "I know how disappointed you all were when we missed out on Gbamin, so as a parting gift, I found you a new central defender." He presented a scouting report for 34-year-old Stefan de Vrij. "You're funny, Nnamdi," Julien smiled, looking at the Dutchman's £115,000-a-week wage demand, before wishing him the best of luck in his new managerial career.

Gilli stayed on the call. Outside of football, he owned a small pub in St. Gallen. Julien asked him if he could gather the staff there tomorrow evening for burgers and beers to give the chief scout a proper send-off. Mario was always happy to do so. Since Julien was also traveling to Switzerland on Sunday evening, he welcomed the plan; it meant he wouldn't have to spend his first night alone in that large, empty apartment.

Julien was sitting in the living room, when the front door opened. Laura had secretly organized an early birthday celebration for him, bringing together the family to give him a proper send-off. Walking through the door was Julien’s sister, Léa. The surprise deepened when Léa announced her plans: Laura asked her to travel with Julien to Switzerland the next day. Working in an art gallery, she volunteered to spend her week off helping to design and set up the new apartment in St. Gallen. The joyful atmosphere, however, took a turn when Laura’s brother, Paul, arrived. Paul immediately began pushing Julien to "strike while the iron is hot," urging him to leverage the recent Brack Super League championship title to secure a more lucrative contract at a bigger club. Julien refused to even consider the thought. Arguments flared up, voices were raised, and an uncomfortable disagreement temporarily ruined the afternoon mood before Paul finally backed down.

Fortunately, Laura saved the afternoon with his favorite dish Bouillabaisse, packed with fresh Mediterranean fish and a homemade birthday cake.

As the afternoon rolled on, the family gathered around the table for a long board game session. While the dice rolled, Julien looked across the table and noticed asome sadness in his children's eyes. Sunday's farewell was clearly weighing on them, turning their laughter into quiet smiles.

A sudden realization struck his mind as he went to sleep. Pre-season training was starting in less than 48 hours, yet the club had not scheduled a single friendly so far. He sent an SMS to Assistant Manager Fritz Schmid: "Fritz, sorry for the hour. We have zero friendlies locked in for the schedule. We absolutely must resolve this first thing tomorrow morning."

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June 11th, 2026

Thursday morning started in a slow rhythm. It was clear the children were counting down the days until the end of the school year. They sat at the kitchen table, sleepily and reluctantly scooping up their cereal before leaving the house. Julien didn't feel much better. As he grabbed the car keys for the usual morning school run, he felt he would have much preferred to spend these last few remaining days simply being with his children, rather than driving them to school. As he watched them walk through the gates, he realized in just a few days, his own summer break would be over before it had even truly begun.

When Julien arrived home, he didn't say a word. Instead, he wrapped his arms around Laura. She could feel the emotions immediately and recognized the guilt eating him. She looked up into his eyes, placed her hands on his cheeks, smiled and reminded him they were a team.

At that exact moment, Julien’s phone buzzed. It was a message from Elena Meçe. For a split second, his heart stopped. Alessandro Vogt, St. Gallen’s 21-year-old striker, had attracted interest from Montpellier. It wasn't a surprise, given how clinical Vogt had been during the team's late-season run. However, the end of the report brought immediate relief: Alessandro was reluctant to leave the Swiss champions, preferring to stay and play continental football rather than moving to the French second division.

A few hours later, another highly anticipated email arrived, bringing fantastic news from Technical Director Jan Breitenmoser. Contract negotiations with both Josip Drmić and Kei Tamura went well, and they officially signed for St. Gallen.. With these two signatures secured alongside Fort and Steidten, the club's backroom staff was officially complete. Julien could finally tick one task off his list.

Later this evening, the 2026 World Cup officially kicked off. Julien and his family gathered around the television to watch the opening match, which delivered a massive upset. Playing in front of a crowd of 87,500 fans at the Mexico City Stadium, the co-hosts Mexico suffered a disappointing 2-0 defeat against Austria. Led by Xaver Schlager, who was named player of the match, the Austrians silenced the home crowd and provided an exciting start to the tournament. (We will be watching closely the games of France, Switzerland, and Ghana here).


I have promised we will look around in Europe's top competitions, but with the World Cup and St Gallen's preseason are both starting, we are about to run out of time. Let's see what's happened in the other leagues:

In England, Liverpool successfully defended their title, finishing ahead of Manchester City. Meanwhile, Chelsea secured a fifth-place finish, and Julien's former club, Everton finished 11th. At the bottom, Burnley, West Ham, and Leeds were relegated from the top flight.

Next season we will sea Ipswich Leicester, and Coventry in the Premier League.

In Germany, RB Leipzig caused a surprise by clinching the Bundesliga title, finishing ahead of Bayern München and VfB Stuttgart. At the bottom of the table, it was a disastrous campaign for both Borussia Mönchengladbach and Hamburger SV.
 

There was some good news for Julien as well, as his former club, VfL Bochum, secured promotion back to the top flight alongside Hertha BSC.

In Italy, Napoli claimed the Serie A title ahead of Juventus and Inter. Pisa, Udinese, and Hellas Verona were relegated.

-I wonder what's happened to my name fix…

From Serie B, AC Monza and Palermo secured automatic promotion to the top tier, while Venezia joined them after winning the promotion play-offs.

Although La Liga is not a playable league in Julien's world, the top three in Spain finished with Real Madrid lifting the trophy, followed by Barcelona and Villarreal.

In France, as we'd expect Paris SG completely dominated the Ligue 1 campaign, securing the title with 91 points, while Olympique de Marseille and Brest finished far behind in second and third place. There was great relief for Julien, as his hometown club Havre AC successfully avoided the drop, finishing in 15th position. Toulouse FC and FC Lorient went down.

Finally, Ligue 2 brought the most emotional updates for Julien. Reims, the club that had dismissed him and Luka Elsner in early 2025, bounced back to claim the title with 75 points. Right behind them, Julien’s former club Saint-Étienne secured automatic promotion in second place. Meanwhile, Montpellier—the team tracking Alessandro Vogt—only managed a disappointing 8th-place finish, well clear of any promotion battle. Further down, Grenoble settled safely in 11th, while Rodez, SC Bastia, and Pau FC were relegated to the third tier.

In continental football, Braga claimed the UEFA Conference League trophy after a dramatic final against Rayo Vallecano at the RB Arena. The match ended in a 2-2 draw after extra time, but the Portuguese side eventually won the title on penalties.

In the UEFA Europa League, Aston Villa lifted the trophy against FC Porto at the Beşiktaş Stadium. After trailing1-0 at half-time, Porto managed to bounce back and secure a 1-1 draw in normal time. Ultimately, Ollie Watkins proved to be the hero, scoring the decisive goal in extra time to win the title and earn the player of the match award.

Finally, in the UEFA Champions League final at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest, Real Madrid took the lead, but Viktor Gyökeres equalized for Arsenal before half-time. In the 51st minute, the Swedish striker struck again to put the London side ahead. The score remained unchanged, securing a 2-1 victory and meaning Arsenal lifted the Champions League trophy for the very first time in their history. Gyökeres was named player of the match.

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June 10th, 2026

Tuesday brought a turning point in the life of the Gauthier family. After just a short time on the market, they accepted a €400,000 offer for their Le Havre home. The paperwork was signed, the family will have to pack up and move out by the end of the month. Suddenly, the relocation to Switzerland became the harsh reality. The news hit the children in different ways. Camille was deeply heartbroken, tears welling up as she fully realized that she would soon have to say a final goodbye to her school, her music classes, and the group of friends she had grown up with. On the other hand, young Louis, knowing how clumsy he had been at the local training ground, he was actually a bit relieved to leave his current football team behind, happy that he wouldn't have to deal with the banter from his teammates anymore. Watching his children process the news, Julien realized he would leave in a few days, and would never return to the place he had called home in the last few years.

On Wednesday morning shortly after dropping the children off at school, Julien opened his mailbox to find a fresh international round-up from Chief Scout Nnamdi Aghanya. The report focused on a battle that had taken place yesterday, where two of St. Gallen's players faced off on opposite sides of an international friendly.

By Wednesday afternoon, the club’s recruitment was moving ahead as well. Two of the four targeted backroom profiles put pen to paper. Dario Fort and Moritz Seidten signed their contracts.

Later that evening, Julien decided to call Lawrence Ati-Zigi before the World Cup began, wishing his number-one shot-stopper the absolute best of luck on the grandest stage of football. The conversation quickly turned into a deeply emotional moment. Ati-Zigi was incredibly grateful, thanking Julien for the controversial decision to rest him instead of using painkilling injections for the season finale against Luzern. The goalkeeper admitted that taking that physical gamble could have easily ruined his chances to travel to North America. Thanks to Julien, his dream of playing in the World Cup was never in danger. Hanging up the phone, Julien knew that prioritizing his player's long-term health had been the absolute right choice.

After the call, Julien picked up the children from their extra tutoring session. Up until now, Camille and Louis learned only English at school. However, with the move to St. Gallen approaching, Wednesday nights were now reserved for intensive, private German lessons. As they got into the car, Julien tried to ask them a few simple phrases in German to see how the lesson had gone. The response was frustrated sighs, and a few completely mispronounced words.

Driving home, Julien was worried. It was clear that the children were struggling with the new language. While he knew that young minds usually adapt quickly, the reality was that St. Gallen was a strictly German-speaking region. Navigating a new school, making new friends, and building a life there was going to be tough for them. 

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June 8th, 2026

On Monday morning, just moments before logging into his online meeting with Technical Director Jan Breitenmoser, Julien opened his inbox to find a rather unsettling media inquiry. Benjamin Damaz, a journalist from the Swiss football magazine ZWÖLF, had sent over a direct question regarding growing transfer speculation. According to reports, English side Watford had set their sights on St. Gallen's reliable center-back, Stephan Ambrosius, and wanted to test the club's resolve. The Hornets had just narrowly escaped relegation, finishing a disappointing 20th in the EFL Championship, which gave Julien some comfort—surely, moving from a freshly crowned Swiss champion to a struggling second-tier English side made little professional sense for the defender. However, Julien knew how quickly these transfer rumors could disrupt a player's focus. He immediately sent back a short response, making it absolutely crystal clear that St. Gallen had zero intention of selling Ambrosius.

The online meeting with Technical Director Jan Breitenmoser proved to be very efficient, wrapping up in just a little over twenty minutes. Jan arrived on the Teams call fully prepared, already holding a shortlist of high-caliber names to fill the vacancies created by Werner Zünd's retirement and the board's newly approved staff expansion. For the two brand-new scouting positions, Breitenmoser presented three exceptional profiles that instantly put a smile on Julien’s face. First on the list was Moritz Steidten, an experienced scout with a proven track record of identifying top talent for both Werder Bremen and West Ham United. Next was a very familiar face to Swiss football fans: Josip Drmić. The former Swiss international striker had only just hung up his boots to retire from professional football, but having played in England, Germany, Croatia and Switzerland, his extensive network of contacts across Europe seemed to be very useful. The biggest scouting name, however, was saved for last. Jan revealed that they were in pole position to land Kei Tamura—who had spent nearly a decade, from 2016 to 2024,at Manchester United.

The ambition didn't stop with the scouting department. To fill the newly created physiotherapist role, Breitenmoser put forward Dario Fort. Fort was a world-class addition to the medical shortlist, boasting an elite resume that included extensive spells managing player fitness and recovery at both Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United. Julien gave his immediate green light to all four targets. He instructed Breitenmoser to open formal contract negotiations right away, knowing that surrounding his players with this level of backroom expertise was exactly how St. Gallen would try to bridge the gap against Europe's elite.

At this moment I've hit continue and a couple of 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.

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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.

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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.

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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:

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 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:

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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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...

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

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 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 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 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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