ChristopheVAFC

Southampton 🤝 Valenciennes

Dear friends,

A few hours after the very first match between our two teams in their history, I want to tell you how I felt:

I sincerely wanted this match to be played in front of an audience so that it could be a celebration between the supporters of the two clubs. I've been hoping for the last few weeks that the decision would change, but unfortunately it didn't. I guess we had to respect the decision of Will Still and Sport Republic... I remember your friendly match last summer with Goztepe and the good exchanges between supporters...

Beyond the fact that the match was played in front of an audience, it's a shame that it wasn't broadcast on television or even live on paper. It's another decision that we have to accept, which I think is a shame...

As for the two matches, I wouldn't worry about the scores, really, what matters most to me is that our two teams were able to take advantage of the opportunity to work on their game, their new habits, and get things right so that they're ready for the season ahead.

There's work to do for both our teams and I have no doubt that Will Still and Stephane Moulin will give it their all to make it work.

I hope that in May 2026, we'll all be able to celebrate, and why not a double league title?

Allez Valenciennes, and Allez Southampton!

5 minutes ago, Convict Colony said:

That bagdadi seems explosive 

A player who can make all the difference this season!

https://www.lavoixdunord.fr/1607833/article/2025-07-18/vafc-du-caractere-et-des-progres-pour-finir-la-semaine-anglaise-de-valenciennes

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VAFC: Character and Progress to End Valenciennes' English Week

Valenciennes concluded their training camp in England with two one-hour matches against former Premier League opponents Southampton, resulting in a 1-1 draw and a narrow 1-0 defeat. But the puzzle is taking shape, and progress is already noticeable.

Match 1: Intensity and Character

With the team approaching the outline of the starting lineup Stéphane Moulin has in mind, VA did more than just resist Southampton. This first hour, above all, allowed us to observe a well-established VAFC, capable of projecting itself and with an already solid team unit. Almost three weeks after the restart, against an opponent who is at the same stage of their preparation and has been relegated from the Premier League, VA displayed the intensity. Quite logically ahead thanks to Samy Baghdadi, VA caused a lot of problems for Will Still's team, whose players eventually grew frustrated at not creating any chances. By constantly letting his foot drag, Nathan Wood really irritated Gaetan Courtet, and things got heated between the two, who were booked and forced to be separated. But by refusing to step on each other, Courtet also sent a message: this VAFC will not lack character.

Southampton – Valenciennes: 1-1

Goals: Baghdadi (16th), for VA, Archer (46th) for Southampton

(4-2-3-1) Louchet; Adu, Coeff, Thomas (cap), Wahib; K. Diomande, Rouai; Appauh, Baghdadi, Ipiele; Courtet. Foreigner: Stéphane Moulin

Match 2: Playing Time and More Adjustments

For the second match, Moulin changed the entire team and made further changes along the way to give everyone at least half an hour of play. Samir Belloumou played the first few minutes. After falling behind early on, the Northerners struggled to make an impact offensively in this second round, which was not nearly as intense as the first.

Southampton – VAFC: 1-0

Goals: Armstrong (11th)

Match 2: (4-3-3 low point) Lacombe; A. Diomande, Niakate (Kebbeh 30th), Tremoulet, Koum; Belloumou (Boissier 30th); Sissoko (cap), Collet (Moursou 30th); Buades (Kouakou 44th), Oyewusi, Kouakou (Nyemb 30th).

The statement: "Things are moving in the right direction."

"In the first match, I thought we were solid defensively and rewarded for recovering high balls. Regarding what we wanted to show in terms of progress, things are moving forward," said the Valenciennes coach. "We're still three weeks away from the first match, but we're moving in the right direction. Without the ball, it's positive; we still have work to do with it. It's a draw and a narrow defeat, but given the opposition, we have to put things into perspective."

The discovery: Derrick Abu, brilliant first-team player

Absent from the match against QRM, the English right-back was fielded for the first hour and left a very good impression against his former club. Lively and already comfortable in his partnership with Stredair Appuah, the young Briton put in a promising performance. With him and Ahmed Diomande, the right wing will be well guarded.

49 minutes ago, Holmes_and_Watson said:

Soon we can shed a tear of pride, as SR teams in France and then Turkey make catastrophic defensive decisions.

Fans of certain clubs in France and Turkey will be shedding tears of a different sort.

Let me reassure you, we've already had players who, when they had the ball, I can tell you we had cold sweats in the stands haha

😅

Resume matchs:

🫣🫣

Reaction from Valenciennes coach Stéphane Moulin after Southampton/VAFC: 

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-> Stéphane, VA, just played Southampton twice in two different matches (1-1) and (1-0). What did you take away from this double encounter?

The first match was very interesting against strong opposition. We were already able to stop this Southampton team as a team. We certainly suffered, but we showed a lot of consistency in our play without the ball and with it, although I hope we'll do better!

But the emphasis during the training camp was precisely on the defensive aspect, and I think we showed a bit of a difference in that area, so it's rather positive.

And then the second match, with players who were a little less connected, I would say, because they didn't play much together, I would say the opposition also lived up to my expectations.

Even though we lost the match 1-0, we could have equalized. We had a magnificent chance with three minutes left, but the balance of power wasn't in our favor. But I think we were able, with our resources, to keep up the good work and survive at times. That's interesting for the future because the foundation of the training camp was once again cohesion, both off the pitch and on the pitch, but also, once again, the collective aspect of the defensive aspect.

So I think that in this area, we've made good progress, we've made good progress. There's still work to be done, obviously, but we're on the right track.

--> With an intensity worthy of a competitive match!

It was a "Yes!" After all, the English are also fond of this kind of opposition. There are no friendlies for them. And then, well, we have exceptional working conditions. The pitch was watered, the weather was nice, so everything was in place for a good match, and it was a good match, so it's interesting.

Now we're going to rest well to get on with the third week of work next week with two matches on the schedule. And we're going to work a little more on the matches than on the week's work.

--> This double match concludes a six-day training camp in Southampton. What is your assessment of this training camp? Are you satisfied?

Yes, it's positive! We found what we came looking for, once again: cohesion on and off the pitch, that the players get to know each other, that we get to know them too, and also connections on the pitch because that's the essence of our job, and I think that in this area too, we're making progress.

We had remarkable conditions, both in terms of infrastructure. The pitch is quite incredible, the quality of the fields, and we were also fortunate to have favorable weather.

So that enhances everything we've put in place, so it's a positive training camp; we have no injuries. We're going into the third week of training, and we have no injuries, so that's also important because when you have too many injuries, you end up shooting the same ones and therefore risk increasing the number of injuries.

So, no, it was a really good training camp in all areas. So I'd say it was a success.

--> Thank you very much Stéphane!

Reaction from Valenciennes coach Stéphane Moulin after Southampton/VAFC: 

-> Stéphane, VA, just played Southampton twice in two different matches (1-1) and (1-0). What did you take away from this double encounter?

The first match was very interesting against strong opposition. We were already able to stop this Southampton team as a team. We certainly suffered, but we showed a lot of consistency in our play without the ball and with it, although I hope we'll do better!

But the emphasis during the training camp was precisely on the defensive aspect, and I think we showed a bit of a difference in that area, so it's rather positive.

And then the second match, with players who were a little less connected, I would say, because they didn't play much together, I would say the opposition also lived up to my expectations.

Even though we lost the match 1-0, we could have equalized. We had a magnificent chance with three minutes left, but the balance of power wasn't in our favor. But I think we were able, with our resources, to keep up the good work and survive at times. That's interesting for the future because the foundation of the training camp was once again cohesion, both off the pitch and on the pitch, but also, once again, the collective aspect of the defensive aspect.

So I think that in this area, we've made good progress, we've made good progress. There's still work to be done, obviously, but we're on the right track.

--> With an intensity worthy of a competitive match!

It was a "Yes!" After all, the English are also fond of this kind of opposition. There are no friendlies for them. And then, well, we have exceptional working conditions. The pitch was watered, the weather was nice, so everything was in place for a good match, and it was a good match, so it's interesting.

Now we're going to rest well to get on with the third week of work next week with two matches on the schedule. And we're going to work a little more on the matches than on the week's work.

--> This double match concludes a six-day training camp in Southampton. What is your assessment of this training camp? Are you satisfied?

Yes, it's positive! We found what we came looking for, once again: cohesion on and off the pitch, that the players get to know each other, that we get to know them too, and also connections on the pitch because that's the essence of our job, and I think that in this area too, we're making progress.

We had remarkable conditions, both in terms of infrastructure. The pitch is quite incredible, the quality of the fields, and we were also fortunate to have favorable weather.

So that enhances everything we've put in place, so it's a positive training camp; we have no injuries. We're going into the third week of training, and we have no injuries, so that's also important because when you have too many injuries, you end up shooting the same ones and therefore risk increasing the number of injuries.

So, no, it was a really good training camp in all areas. So I'd say it was a success.

--> Thank you very much Stéphane!

by https://www.va-fc.com/articles/29228

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A Draw and a Loss for VAFC Against Southampton in a Friendly
For the first time in their history, VAFC and Southampton faced off in a warm-up match this Friday, July 18th, at the English club's Staplewood training ground. Members of the Sport Republic group for two years, the first teams of the two clubs had never met before. The two matches played this Friday therefore cemented the connections that now exist between France and England.

Because it wasn't just one match, but two separate one-hour encounters played at Staplewood with two completely different team lineups on each side.

An Intense, Committed, and Balanced First Match

In the first match, VAFC clearly matched the Championship team, with an intensity more akin to a competitive match than a friendly. Physical and committed, the match started well for Valenciennes, who opened the scoring in the 17th minute thanks to Baghdadi, who was well-played by Courtet. VA then came close to doubling their lead when Baghdadi passed to Ipiélé, whose shot went just wide of Ramsdale's goal (26th minute).

But England responded with Brereton Diaz's volley missing the target (27th minute). In the second half, Southampton pushed for an equalizer and finally found the net in the 47th minute with a cross shot from Archer. A rather logical draw after a solid, technical, and committed performance from VAFC.

Southampton-VAFC (1-1). Goals: Archer (47th minute) for Southampton; Baghdadi (17th) for VAFC

VAFC: Louchet - Abu, Coeff, Thomas (cap), Wahib - K. Diomandé, Rouai - Ipiélé, Baghdadi, Appuah - Courtet

Southampton: Ramsdale - Bree, Stephens, Wood, Manning-Charles, Downes (Sesay, 36th), Edozie, Fraser, Brereton Diaz-Archer

A second match in favor of Southampton

For the second match, things were a little more complicated for VA. Dominated from the start, the Red and Whites conceded the opening goal in the 11th minute, thanks to Armstrong's lurking effort after Stewart's shot hit Justin Lacombe's post. A Valenciennes goalkeeper had to pull out all the stops just before halftime, deflecting a header that was heading into the net (28th).

In the second half, VA attempted to respond with a Nyemb shot that went wide of the English goal (38th minute). But it was Oyewusi, late in the match (57th minute), who created the best opportunity with a cross back into the box that was blocked at the last moment. Ultimately, Southampton won the second half, marking the end of an intense training camp in England for Valenciennes. Their next match is this Wednesday, July 23rd, against Feignies (6 p.m.) during the season-ticket holders' fan day.

Southampton-VAFC 1-0. Goal: Armstrong (11th) for Southampton

VAFC: Lacombe - A.Diomandé, Niakaté (Kebbeh, 31st), Tremoulet, Koum - Belloumou (Boissier, 31st), Collet (Moursou, 31st), Sissoko (cap) - Buades (Kouakou, 45th), Oyewusi, Kouakou (Nyemb, 31st)

Southampton: Mc Carthy - Sugawara, Kayi Sanda, Quarshie, Taylor - Welington, Smallbone, Aribo - Armstrong, Robinson, Stewart

Visit to Saint Mary's Stadium for Valenciennes yesterday!

Second newspaper article of the day by Julien Dufurier from 'La Voix du Nord':

https://www.lavoixdunord.fr/1607583/article/2025-07-18/vafc-j-ai-envie-de-faire-plus-stredair-appuah-veut-hausser-le-niveau-pour-son

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VAFC: "I want to do more," Stredair Appuah wants to raise his game for his new loan

After six convincing months last year, Stredair Appuah was loaned back to Valenciennes, with the firm intention of improving further compared to last season.

Stredair, how did your return to VA come about?

"First of all, you should know that since the beginning of my career, I haven't been able to play a full season in the same place. At the end of the season, I didn't return to Italy (he belongs to Palermo), I stayed in France. And when we reconnected, I was interested, I listened even though there were other clubs as well. I spoke to the coach on the phone, who was very clear about what he wanted to implement, which made me want to come back." »

Being asked to sign a new loan is also a recognition of your performances from last season…

"Yes, and it's definitely a nice boost for the ego. There were some good things, but not everything was perfect either. That's why spending a full season here appealed to me. I want to do more, to be more decisive."

You're returning to a club that has changed a lot, with a new coach, twelve new recruits…

"I know the place now, but it's true that there have been changes. That's why a camp like the one we're doing is important; it's good to spend time together."

The recruitment process is enticing, especially offensively; there's going to be competition…

"And that's great! A player who feels settled tends to lose focus. Competition lifts everyone up."

Today's press article by Julien Dufurier from 'La Voix du Nord': https://www.lavoixdunord.fr/1607578/article/2025-07-18/vafc-un-autre-monde-southampton-c-est-la-creme-anglaise-pour-valenciennes

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VAFC: ‘Another world’, Southampton is the crème anglaise for Valenciennes

Until Friday evening, Valenciennes are on a training camp in Southampton at the facilities of their owner Sport Republic's flagship club. In ideal conditions, the focus is on tactical development and team cohesion.

The hotel, located to the north of Southampton, has everything it takes to welcome a football team. The people from Valenciennes have their own space here, while mingling with the other guests, particularly those from the impressive gym installed on the premises. The lovely swimming pool? Stéphane Moulin and his players are clearly not here for that and spend a good part of their stay on the green lawns of the Staplewood Campus. Half an hour south, on the other side of the River Test, Southampton FC's training centre is a jewel of almost twenty hectares and further proof of the expertise of British gardeners.

Go-karting, a visit to the stadium and plenty of training

Since Sunday, the Nordic outfit have been enjoying the benefits of belonging to a group with several teams, while benefiting from the facilities of their owner's flagship club, Sport Republic. What National side can boast of having a pre-season training camp in the usual surroundings of a team that was still in the Premier League last season? Already well equipped with the Stade du Hainaut and Mont-Houy, VAFC have moved up a gear on the other side of the Channel. ‘We're in optimal conditions here, it's a different world,’ admits Alain Ipiele, one of the twelve new recruits in the off-season. Magnificent," confirms attacking midfielder Samy Baghdadi. The most important thing is the pitch, but it's still nice to be in these conditions.

‘It's an important moment, we get to know each other, we reach out to each other’ Stredair Appuah

The setting is great, but the Northerners do not forget the essence of this week, which is the launchpad for their season and the starting point of a great collective adventure. Stredair Appuah, once again loaned to VA, grew up in England and sometimes plays the role of translator for his teammates. "This is an important moment, we are getting to know each other, we are moving towards each other," assures the attacking midfielder, pleased to be able to have a full season in the North.

Two one-hour matches against Southampton

Stéphane Moulin and his team stacked training sessions twice a day on Monday and Tuesday. On Wednesday, the morning training was followed by a go-karting activity where some talents were revealed. "Jean (Louchet) was good, in my group Sambou (Sissoko) and Samy Baghdadi were quite good too. Me? I respect the rules of the road," laughs Alain Ipiele whose speed is more expected on the left flank. The visit to Saint Mary's Stadium, the home of the Saints, on Thursday was another one of those moments that allowed the players to get to know each other off the field. They will reunite this Friday at 11 AM local time, with two one-hour matches against Southampton.

2 minutes ago, Turkish said:

I cant see anything else than 8-0 Saints over the two games. 

I wouldn't go that far, my friend, but I think the most important thing is to work well and for the matches to go well, after that the score won't be the most important thing for me.

The VAFC calendar for the 2025/26 season is out!

You've all been waiting for it - it's finally out! On Thursday, the FFF revealed the National Championship fixture list for the 2025/26 season. Note that VAFC will kick off their season at home to Le Puy on Friday 15 August. Here is the calendar in detail, day by day

First phase:

(Away) J1 (08/08/25): Châteauroux-VAFC 
(Home) J2 (15/08/25): VAFC-Le Puy
(Away) J3 (22/08/25): Orléans-VAFC
(Home) J4 (29/08/25): VAFC-Rouen
(Away) J5 (05/09/25) : Saint-Brieuc-VAFC
(Home) J6 (12/09/25) : VAFC-Paris 13
(Away) J7 (19/09/25): Caen-VAFC
(Home) J8 (26/09/25): VAFC-Villefranche
(Away) J9 (03/10/25): Ajaccio- VAFC
(Home) J10 (17/10/25): VAFC-Concarneau
(Away) J11 (21/10/25): Aubagne-VAFC
(Home) J12 (31/10/25): VAFC- Quevilly
(Away) J13 (07/11/25): Versailles-VAFC
(Home) J14 (21/11/25): VAFC-Fleury
(Away) J15 (05/12/25): Dijon-VAFC
(Home) J16 (12/12/25): VAFC-Sochaux
(Home) J17 (16/01/26): VAFC-Bourg

Second phase:

(Away) J18 (23/01/26): Le Puy-VAFC
(Home) J19 (30/01/26): VAFC-Orléans
(Away) J20 (06/02/26): Rouen-VAFC
(Home) J21 (13/02/26): VAFC-Saint-Brieuc
(Away) J22 (20/02/26): Paris 13-VAFC
(Home) J23 (27/02/26) : VAFC-Caen
(Away) J24 (06/03/26): Villefranche-VAFC
(Home) J25 (13/03/26): VAFC-Ajaccio
(Away) J26 (20/03/26): Concarneau-VAFC
(Home) J27 (27/03/26): VAFC-Aubagne
(Away) J28 (03/04/26): Quevilly-VAFC
(Home) J29 (10/04/26): VAFC-Versailles
(Away) J30 (17/04/26): Fleury-VAFC
(Home) J31 (24/04/26): VAFC-Dijon
(Away) J32 (01/05/26): Sochaux-VAFC
(Away) J33 (08/05/26): Bourg-VAFC
(Home) J34 (15/05/26) : VAFC-Châteauroux

Tomorrow sees a behind-closed-doors friendly between our two clubs at Southampton's training centre.

According to the latest information, there will be 2 matches of 60 minutes each, with 2 different teams.

There will be no live video feed, no real-time score information, and the clubs will publish information after the match, nothing else...

It's a shame, but if it helps our two clubs to have a good season afterwards...

7 hours ago, goodymatt said:

 

I know a bit about Julien Dufurier, the journalist who specialises in our team here for our local media outlet ‘La Voix du Nord’, and it's often his press articles that I share with you here. I agree with what he had to say, which sums up the situation of our club since the takeover by Sport Republic. I hope our 3 clubs have a great season in any case!

8 hours ago, SuperSAINT said:

Hope they get promoted - helps everyone.

Frankly, our team has what it takes to have a great season, and we have an experienced coach who can make a difference too!

9 hours ago, Convict Colony said:

Nice work seems like the club is making smarter decisions this transfer window.

Honestly, it's a really good job that's been done by the sports coordinator Mathieu Frison, with the support of our CEO Yoann Godin since the end of the season. We have nothing to reproach the club for, which we feel has made some very good choices, now the hardest thing will be for this new team to get on well on the pitch, and if that works, I have no doubt that we'll have a great season!

It's Samir Belloumou finaly !

https://www.va-fc.com/articles/29185

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Samir Belloumou signs for VAFC!

A defensive midfielder for the Rouge et Blanc! Samir Belloumou, captain of Martigues in Ligue 2 last season (26 matches), signed a two-season contract with VAFC on Wednesday 16 July. The 31-year-old experienced defensive midfielder, who was born in Martigues and trained at Istres, has spent most of his career in his home town, where he has played since the 2017/18 season.

Samir Belloumou has experienced it all under his Martigues colours, progressing from National 2 to Ligue 2 in the space of seven years. The midfielder played no fewer than 163 games for the club in all divisions. The midfielder is looking forward to bringing that experience to Valenciennes this season. Welcome to VA Samir!

Samir Belloumou, new VAFC recruit. "I was really excited by the VAFC project. When I spoke to the coach, I knew it was an ambitious project. I'd just come off three great seasons with Martigues, where I experienced some great emotions, and I'm really hoping to relive that here. VAFC is a historic club with a great structure and a lot of supporters. All that convinced me and made me want to come here. I can't wait to get started and experience some great adventures. In terms of my profile, I'm a defensive midfielder who works with the defenders to try and get the ball out but also to defend well with the team.

Mathieu Frison, sports coordinator at VAFC. "Samir is an experienced midfielder who will bring his technical expertise to the team. He is a player who has been loyal to his club Martigues, which he has taken from N2 to L2 in recent seasons as captain. We are delighted to welcome him to VAFC.
 

A new recruit will be announced in a few hours by VAFC. 🥳

I'm thinking of two potential players: 🫣

- Sandro Tremoulet (central defender)

- Samir Beloumou (defensive midfielder)

I think the player will be presented on the pitch at Southampton's training centre. 😅

https://x.com/VAFC/status/1945436415862386970?t=eQ0YzDCZn5Nf46EyXIqyWg&s=19

1 hour ago, Ekelund24 said:

I am not sure if it was all of your players or just coaches and backroom staff but they seemed to be settling in at the Village Hotel OK yesterday 

I don't have any information on this subject because my club is very discreet about the team's current training camp. I imagine they want the players to be in their own bubble.

I hope the camp goes well for them in any case!

Hello friends, I hope you're well?

Latest news from my team who arrived safely in Southampton last night for the 5-day course!

I think you're likely to come across them if they're out and about in the city, I'm thinking of the Bargate and WestQuai areas!

Take care of my players, my friends! Have a great day!

--> https://www.lavoixdunord.fr/1606238/article/2025-07-14/vafc-encore-en-observation-valenciennes-en-stage-en-angleterre-la-classe

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VAFC: ‘Still observing’, Valenciennes on training camp in England, the discovery class

In the wake of their 1-0 win over Quevilly-Rouen, Valenciennes have left for a week's training camp in Southampton, where one of the main objectives will be to get to know each other better.

Things are speeding up for Stéphane Moulin's VAFC. After two weeks of work at home at the start of their preparations, with physical sessions in the mornings and on the ball in the afternoons, the Valenciennes took their first step on Saturday with a 1-0 win over Quevilly-Rouen in their first preparatory match. It was a deserved victory, as much as it underlined the automatisms that still need to be built in a team that has been rebuilt from the ground up.

"I'm trying to get a better grasp of the personalities. I need to know who I'm dealing with on a human level, and so do they. " Stéphane Moulin

Creating a group spirit and a bond between the men who make it up is at the heart of this English week in Southampton. The Valenciennes players will be spending a lot of time together away from home at the facilities of owner Sport Republic's flagship club, which VAFC will face late on Friday morning. It's important," insists Stéphane Moulin. We're going to discover some good facilities, even if ours are already exceptional, but it's going to give us the chance to get together in a place we've never been before.

24 players at the training camp

All twenty-two players who lined up against QRM will be making the trip, while Remy Boissier, who was not selected on Saturday, and young Célestin Nyemb have also boarded the Eurostar to travel to the south of England for a week. Souleymane Basse will not be taking part.

A firm believer in management and team spirit, Stéphane Moulin will continue to discover a squad full of new faces. I'm still in the observation phase," admits the new Valenciennes coach. I'm observing behaviour, attitudes on the pitch, who can be with whom, and I'm trying to get a better grasp of personalities. I need to know who I'm dealing with on a human level, and so do they.

This English interlude, the second phase of the preparation, will provide the ideal setting for him to get to grips with the souls of his players. One-to-one interviews with each of the participants in the training camp are planned. On the green lawns of the Staplewood Campus, Southampton's training centre, the Valenciennes will also be getting down to the nitty-gritty of tactics.

Congratulations on your victory today, my friends!