Let’s summarize where we left off when FM26 was released in early November:
Julien Gauthier, who moved from Le Havre to Everton at a young age, from where he was loaned to Preston, and then to the German side Bochum in the final year of his contract. After they were relegated from the Bundesliga, he returned home to France, where, as captain, he led Grenoble back to the French top flight after 60 years. He became a legend, but after his club went bankrupt, he signed with St. Étienne and won the League Cup in the penultimate year of his career. In the following season, his right ankle—which had troubled him many times throughout his career—finally gave out for good.
He spent the next 10 years attending coaching courses and working extensively as an assistant manager. He strongly expected to eventually take the reins at Grenoble, but that never materialized. In 2022, he became the assistant manager at his boyhood club, Le Havre, under Luka Elsner. They performed so well that Reims, aiming for European competition, came calling for Elsner (in the summer of 2024), who asked Gauthier to follow him as his assistant. Julien didn't hesitate for long, but the mission ended in failure. In the spring of 2025, when the team was closer to the relegation zone than to Europe, the coaching duo was sacked.
Julien is married to his wife, Laura, and they have two children: 13-year-old Camille and 10-year-old Louis.
So, this is where we start. I hope I’ll have more success this time than I did before.
About the save: The active leagues are those where Julien has spent time during his career—France, England, and Germany. In addition, I've included Switzerland and Italy (due to their proximity to Grenoble; Northern Italy, in particular, could be a realistic destination for Julien), as well as Belgium. All leagues from these six countries are included in the game.
So, here we are on February 26, 2026. There are a total of 17 vacant managerial positions in the leagues mentioned above. The most prominent vacancies are at Sheffield United, currently sitting 18th in the Championship, and Hannover, 14th in the 2. Bundesliga.
However, Julien doesn't feel ready for these roles just yet. On the other hand, the vacancy at Pau FC—who are currently rock bottom of Ligue 2—has certainly piqued his interest.
However, Julien spent so much time overthinking his application that by the time he was ready to apply, it was already too late:
Once Julien started showing signs of life, the French press tracked him down immediately. He was questioned regarding the struggling Nancy, and he spoke with surprising honesty. He admitted that he is closely monitoring the situation and would be interested in the opportunity.
See you as soon as something interesting happens - most likely in a couple of days. And this time, it’s going to be a very slow burn..
