ChristopheVAFC

Many thanks for your feedback, everyone. So I’m spoilt for choice 😅

I quite like Rento; he puts in a lot of effort, isn’t afraid to get stuck in despite his small stature, and never shies away from hard work. In my view, he deserves a bit more playing time. So yes, he isn’t very tall and can’t quite compete with traditional players yet, but he’s very deserving. I’d really like the club to keep him on for next season.

Hello everyone, As you know, I'll have the honor of attending this match, and I have a few questions: - Do you have any good restaurant recommendations? - What's the most popular pub among Southampton supporters? - Do you know if a commemorative scarf for this match will be available for purchase? - Do you have any other places you'd recommend I visit? Thank you, everyone, and I'm really looking forward to it! 😍

National League: Three internationals away, what will Valenciennes line up against Aubagne? The absence of Abi, El Hadary, and Takoaka will necessitate changes to the Valenciennes lineup for their match against Aubagne on Friday (7:30 pm) at the Stade du Hainaut. Since you don't change a winning team, or at least not too much, Pierre Blois has so far distinguished himself with his consistency in player selection. This is especially true in the last three matches, all victories against Caen, Villefranche, and Concarneau, with identical starting elevens. However, the upcoming international window will shake things up. Ylan El Hadary is with the Madagascar national team for two matches against Kyrgyzstan and Equatorial Guinea. Charles Abi will make his international debut for Togo, while Rento Takaoka has also boarded a plane to join the Japanese U19 team. “This will give some players opportunities to be rewarded and also help boost team morale. It was always planned to make changes,” explains Pierre Blois. A first appearance for Ben Osman? The decisive performances of the substitutes last week in Concarneau have given the Valenciennes coach some ideas, and the attacking line is the area most likely to see changes. The young players, for whom opportunities have been greatly expanded since the arrival of Pierre Blois and Rudy Mater, also have a chance to seize. While we await the official sixteen-man squad, midfielder Jules Collet and young Ghanaian striker Ben Osman are among the eighteen players selected. Goalkeepers: Justin Lacombe, Jean Louchet Defenders: Alexandre Coeff, Alexi Koum, Loïck Landre, Sakhalou Niakaté, Bryan Passi Midfielders: Samir Belloumou, Rémy Boissier, Jules Collet, Quentin Daubin, Thibault Maréchal, Mabrouk Rouaï Forwards: Stredair Appuah, Gaëtan Courtet, Kader Diomandé, Alain Ipiélé, Ben Osman

Hello everyone, I hope you're all doing well? News from Valenciennes. After my third consecutive victory last week in Concarneau, we're back home hosting Aubagne at the Stade du Hainaut. For VAFC, it's been a good week overall. Staying up is practically guaranteed; I think we just need two more wins or six more points to finish the job. Interim coach Pierre Blois has indicated he wants to take as many points as possible before the end of the season. For Aubagne: They're facing a struggling team that changed coaches this week, so it's always a tricky match because we don't know what kind of mindset they'll be in when they come to Valenciennes tonight. My prediction still leans towards a Valenciennes victory, as they'll be aiming for their fourth consecutive win (something the club hasn't achieved in several years), perhaps by a score of 2-0 or 3-1. Kick-off is at 7:30 PM French time, and the match link is below: Below, I'm sharing a local press article about tonight's match. Have a great day, everyone. Allez VA ! ⚽

Yes, this is my second visit! I know the city a bit as I stayed for three days last time. I hope I’ll get the chance to have a photo with some of you! I’m already lucky to be able to attend such a great football match!

Friends, I’m delighted to let you know that I’ll be at Saint Mary’s for this match! 😍😍 Can’t wait to be there! 🔴⚪

Congratulation for the new victory today 👌🥰 Again and again ❤️🤍

National League: "Almost two years," three consecutive wins for Valenciennes, a rare feat to be savored Valenciennes secured their third consecutive victory in Concarneau (2-1), achieving a remarkable run that has rarely been achieved in their recent history. Of course, there was the excellent start to last season when VA racked up three straight wins at the Stade du Hainaut. This impressive winning streak was punctuated by a bizarre match in Orléans, which was abandoned mid-season due to a fire at a chip shop. A year earlier, at the very end of their disastrous relegation season to the National League, Valenciennes finished strong, despite being relegated, with four meaningless wins in the spring, even though one of them was awarded by default in Troyes when the anger of ESTAC supporters and the throwing of flares led to the match being abandoned. So, we witnessed a true Valenciennes exception in Concarneau. Three consecutive league victories are clearly not something the club is used to. "It had been almost two years since that last happened," states Pierre Blois, thus taking into account the run from spring 2024. "Beyond that, it almost never happens in Valenciennes. The last time it happened in a typical fashion dates back to the 2022-2023 season, with Nicolas Rabuel at the helm." Is the tide finally turning? Winning three times in a row was, in fact, one of the motivating factors used by the northern coach. "There was that, and the fact of beating Concarneau for the first time in the club's history." The mission has therefore been doubly accomplished and is accompanied by a new feeling at VA: that the tide may finally be turning in the right direction. “This is the first time since I’ve been here that we’ve turned a game around like this,” emphasizes GM Yoann Godin, who took over on November 1, 2023. It was worth celebrating properly by the bench and the players on the field before a long and boisterous collective joy in the locker room. “It’s for all the times we deserved the win and left with one or zero points,” savors Bryan Passi. “But the momentum is good.” Let’s keep it going next week at home.

National League: The comeback started from the bench, Valenciennes are unstoppable! Thanks to Loïck Landre and Stredair Appuah, who came on as substitutes and scored late goals, Valenciennes secured their third consecutive victory in Concarneau (2-1). Things had started rather poorly, but this team is no longer quite the same with Pierre Blois at the helm. Valenciennes' good run, this bright spot of seven points taken in three matches with two consecutive wins, will therefore continue. And what a continuation it is! For the first time this season, Valenciennes have strung together three consecutive victories after the one brought back from Concarneau (2-1), which rewards the Northerners' strength of character, this newfound virtue that had already sparked in Villefranche (3-2), more than a truly great performance. But no matter. We must remember all those points dropped, all those matches lost at the end of the first half of the season, to appreciate even more the upset pulled off by Valenciennes in Brittany. Because that's precisely what it was. Harmless in the first half, then rattled after the break and trailing during a period of sustained pressure from their opponents, Valenciennes were in dire straits and came close to being knocked out at least three times (50th, 63rd, 73rd minutes). And then the substitutes worked their magic, as if by magic, and galvanized everyone for a thrilling and incredibly efficient final ten minutes. Loïck Landre, lurking in the box (82nd minute), and then Stredair Appuah (87th minute), wonderfully set up by Alexi Koum and perfectly placed to finish his shot across goal, turned the game around. Bryan Passi saw it coming. "It was tough for 70 minutes, and then the substitutes really changed the dynamic of the game," praised Pierre Blois, still undefeated at the helm of Valenciennes, whose coaching paid off across the board. "We still have to be humble because Concarneau doesn't deserve what's happening to them." But the Bretons ran into the new Valenciennes, a team that no longer hangs its head, doesn't panic when it's behind, and therefore has that extra bit of soul to pull itself out of the predicament that was looming. Bryan Passi sensed it, urging his teammates not to give up. "There's still time," he told them in the 70th minute. The central defender, still very valuable in the air, couldn't have been more right. The comeback was only just beginning. CONCARNEAU – VALENCIENNES: 1-2 (0-0) Goals: Da Silva (55th minute) for Concarneau, Landre (82nd minute), Appuah (85th minute) Yellow cards: Goujon (30th minute) for Concarneau, Rouai (90th minute) for Valenciennes CONCARNEAU: Viot; Sinquin (Gbele 26th minute), Jannez (captain), Seba; Soukouna (Tell 79th minute), Goujon, Picouleau, Etcheverria; Ntumi, Varvat (Da Silva 45th, Baldoni. Etr: Pascal Laguillier VAFC: Louchet; Niakate (Abi 75th), Passi, Coeff, Koum; Rouai, Maréchal (Landre 75th), Belloumou (cap) (Boissier 15th); El Hadary (Appuah 63rd), Courtet (cap), K. Diomande (Takaoka 63rd). Etr: Pierre Blois

RIP Legend !

Thanks, mate. After a pretty tough stretch of the season, the positive momentum is finally here – and it’s sticking! We’re getting closer to our goal of staying up, and I reckon we’ll make it, even though we’ve had a few scares, it’s true. What I’ve noticed has changed since Pierre Blois took over: - The players are smiling again - Nobody is slacking off - A lot of effort is being put in during training and in matches - The coach has also been putting the players in their right positions a bit more. Not much has changed, but you can sense that the rapport between the former coach and the players didn’t really click... The main thing is to pick up points as quickly as possible and move on to next season!

Full-time at the Stade Guy Piriou in Concarneau. And it’s a 2-1 win! A much more intense second half with a crazy turn of events! 56’ Concarneau open the scoring and we start to think that our bogey team is going to take points off us again… 83’ Loick Landre, the Valenciennes defender, equalises! 87' Streddair Appuah puts Valenciennes firmly in front and allows VAFC to leapfrog their opponents in the table. VA are also edging closer to safety, and our coach, who came through the reserves like Tonda Eckeryt, is working miracles with 10 points from a possible 12! A great evening! I’m going to spend the weekend with a smile on my face. Allez VA !

Half-time at the Stade Guy Piriou in Concarneau. The score is 0-0. Not much to say; both teams have struggled to create chances and have spent a lot of time sizing each other up. It feels a bit like an end-of-season fixture, but for now, there are still some crucial points to be won. Let’s hope for a better second half. Allez VA !

Hello everyone, I hope you’re all well? First of all, congratulations on your recent victories and your 13-match unbeaten run; I hope it continues for as long as possible so you can aim for the play-offs! News from Valenciennes: last week, I mentioned that VAFC were set to play a friendly match at PSG’s training ground against their U23s. The match ended in a 2-2 draw. It was a game that helped us maintain our rhythm and gave playing time to almost all the players. Today, it’s back to the league and the final stretch until the end of the season. The aim is to pick up as many points as possible as quickly as possible to secure our place in the division and finish the season on a high. We’re away to US Concarneau tonight, a team we haven’t beaten in two years, so it would be more than welcome to pick up some points tonight. Kick-off is at 7.30 pm French time as usual, and I’ll be sharing the local news articles with you this morning Oh, and I nearly forgot to mention, I’ll be in Southampton from 4th to 5th April and hope to bump into some of you there. 😍 Have a lovely day. Allez VA!

3 points again tonight ! Congratulations my friend ! let's go ! ❤️🤍

Congratulations for the today victory versus the leader Saint's Friend. 🔥🔥❤️🤍

Hello friends, I hope you are all well on this Friday the 13th? After this week's heated debates, here's some more serious news from Valenciennes. - Match: No official match this weekend, as VA has a bye because the championship is once again being played with 17 clubs this season following the relegation of AC Ajaccio. However, there will be a friendly match this afternoon at 2 p.m. French time against Paris Saint Germain's U23 team at the PSG Campus. It's an opportunity to keep up the momentum. - Coaching: According to the latest news, it seems that Pierre Blois and Rudy Mater will continue as interim managers until the end of the season. With a run of 7 points out of 9, the club is prepared to pay the €7,500 fine per match to maintain the positive streak and secure their place as quickly as possible. I tend to agree with this decision. No other news for the moment. The priority is to keep the first team up this season and calmly prepare for next season. Allez VA !

You know, dear compatriots, if football were all about investing millions and winning everything instantly, we would know about it. How long did it take QSI to win the Champions League since they arrived, for example? Once again, name me one investor and/or interested party who would agree to: - reimburse SR a minimum of €50 million? - take charge of the club amid the uncertainty of French football (declining TV rights)? - accept losing money every year because, whether in National 1 or Ligue 3, clubs earn very little money, if any! I'm not sure that Patrick Partouche, for example, would be willing to put up that kind of money, even if he loves the club! No one here in Valenciennes is happy with this situation, neither the owner, nor the employees, nor the managers, nor the supporters, and you will read on this forum (which you only visit to express your hatred for SR, by the way) that I am not happy with this situation either and that I want only one thing, which is for the club to do well and for the project to succeed. Talking about the number of coaches and players, yes, there have been a lot, and yes, SR has made mistakes, but everyone makes mistakes, even you and me! Whether you like it or not, once again, they're not leaving. They didn't negotiate two years with EZ to leave like that, like thieves. They're taking responsibility, and they'll continue to do so for as long as they're here. If it helps to reassure you, I am not paid by anyone at the club. I have an employer who pays me well, and I want for nothing. And yes, I did say at the outset that I would give SR three years to prove himself, because we gave EZ three years to prove himself, and in the end, EZ stayed for 11 years, so I'm giving SR 11 years. That's only logical, isn't it? Once again, I thought that debating with you would make sense, but I realise that we will never agree. I leave you to your confusion and anger. I am thinking about the club and its interests, and whether you agree with me or not, today SR has the club in its hands and they are the only ones who can decide its future. A word to the wise!

As I suspected, my openly anti-SR compatriot had to post this information. In fact, he has been very quiet for the past three weeks! It's true that earning seven points in three matches is quite remarkable! 🤣 This was to be expected, and there is nothing surprising about the ‘economic social plan’ currently being implemented. Even if, admittedly, it is basically their fault, due to poor recruitment choices and the relegation to National 1, there has been ‘overstaffing’ in certain areas. The objective for the moment is to reduce costs and adjust staffing levels. This is a common procedure in French companies when they are living beyond their means. SR will not be leaving, either in the short or medium term, because, on the one hand, the buyer would have to put at least €50 million on the table, and it is not certain that many are capable of doing so today. 🤭 I gave Zdziech 11 years to prove himself, and I would give SR 11 years to prove himself, except that EZ manages the club with other people's money and SR mismanages his own money. 😎 So yes, it's a shame, it's sad, but sometimes you have to take a step back to take a bigger leap forward 🤫

Hello friends, I hope you are all well? I wanted to congratulate you warmly on yesterday's qualification at Fulham. Great work from the GOAT, Mr Tonda. I am impressed and very happy for you and your current results. Everything is still possible for you, and I sincerely hope that the momentum will continue until the end of the season! COYR ! 🔴⚪

Very good times, really !

VAFC: Confidence gives wings to Daou Kader Diomandé Starting for the third consecutive time under the duo of Pierre Blois and Rudy Mater, Kader Diomandé repaid the faith shown in him by scoring a goal and providing an assist this Friday in Villefranche. A complete performance. It's amazing how confidence can change a player! Having already provided an assist last week against Caen, Daou Kader Diomandé did it again this Friday evening, setting up Bryan Passi for the equalizer in the second half when VA were trailing 2-1, before scoring his own goal, his first since joining Valenciennes. The former Paris 13 player took his chance, and what's more, with his left foot, which isn't his strongest. "I saw that my opponent was anticipating my pace a lot, so I decided to cut inside and unleash a shot." Sometimes you have to take a chance, and this time it went in, I'm proud. I think it will encourage me to use my left foot more. His first season in Hainaut had been a rollercoaster. "Before, I knew that if I wasn't at my best, I'd be out. I'm trying to find some consistency. In the last three matches, I think there's been improvement in that regard." He feels that the new coaching staff is ready to give him a chance, even though Pierre Blois admitted afterward that he and Rudy Mater had been very close to not starting the 22-year-old from the Paris region, whose final training session the day before the match hadn't gone well. They changed their minds, and it was a good thing they did!

National League: A successful interim period, everyone raises a glass for Valenciennes! The interim period led by Pierre Blois and Rudy Mater at the helm of VAFC is progressing perfectly. This Friday, the team traveled to Villefranche-sur-Saône, a week after beating Caen, to secure their second away win of the season (2-3). It feels good! History doesn't record whether the Valenciennes players brought along a case of Beaujolais to celebrate their victory (2-3), their second away win of the season – there was the one obtained in Rouen before Stéphane Moulin left – but it would have been worthwhile, given the region's wealth of wines. This success primarily validates the fantastic work that Pierre Blois and Rudy Mater are currently undertaking. The interim side have just earned seven points in two matches and are emerging from their slump. Valenciennes now have a nine-point cushion over sixteenth place (currently held by QRM) before a week of watching the other teams play – they have a bye in the next round. So, things are looking up for Valenciennes on the pitch, even if they were briefly haunted by their past struggles, finding themselves down 2-1 at halftime despite having opened the scoring and dominated the first forty-five minutes. "We were very strong together," "When we went into the locker room, they (Valadois) must have had two or three shots on goal, and we had I don't know how many," observed Bryan Passi, who scored twice that evening. It reminded him of the matches against Orléans or Saint-Brieuc, "where we had the ball, the chances, and we couldn't score." This (Friday) evening, we managed to turn things around. We were very strong together, in our effort, in our defensive unit, we stayed united, we followed the game plan from start to finish. Above all, we didn't panic. Pierre Blois knew just what to say to keep his players united. "We had to instill confidence in them, tell them to keep doing what they were doing. Because, without realizing it, we were creating chances, but I think we were missing that penultimate and final touch." The touches they did make to make the difference were simply magnificent. Bryan Passi wasn't too happy that the corner in the 58th minute wasn't taken directly, but when the ball came to him, for what would be his second goal, he managed to keep his direct opponent away from the trajectory. "The shot came out the way it came out, it was completely out of bounds." Volley, goal. The goal scored four minutes later by Kader Diomandé, to seal the victory, wasn't bad either. The former Paris 13 player opted to cut inside and try his luck with his left foot, something unusual for him. It certainly gave him ideas for the future. An inspiration? No, an aspiration. And the entire Valenciennes team eagerly embraced it. VILLEFRANCHE-BEAUJOLAIS – VALENCIENNES: 2-3 (2-1). Armand-Chouffet Stadium. Referee: Mr. Chamel. Goals: Leye (10th), Assef (45th + 2) for Villefranche; Passi (9th, 58th), K. Diomandé (62nd) for Valenciennes. Leye of Villefranche was sent off (80th). Warnings for Villefranche: Leye (44th, 80th), Keita (46th); for Valenciennes: Louchet (43rd), K. Diomandé (77th), Koum (88th). Villefranche: Péan; Bayeye, Tshibuabua, Dekoke (captain), Grippon (Louzif, 75th); Assef (Testud, 75th), Mroivili (Sbai, 84th), Keita (Marcel, 75th), Sabihi (Kena Kebaya, 89th); Mixtur, Leye. Coach: Fabien Pujo. Valenciennes: Louchet; Niakaté, Passi, Coeff, Koum; Rouaï, Belloumou (captain, Appuah, 70th), Maréchal (Boissier, 84th); K. Diomandé (Landre, 90+1), Courtet (Abi, 84), El Hadary (Takaoka, 84). Coach: Pierre Blois

The match has just ended in Villefranche. Valenciennes wins 3-2. Goal summary: 8th minute: VA opens the scoring with a free kick into the box and Bryan Passi scores with a header (0-1). 9th minute: On the kick-off, the home side equalises with a breakthrough and a shot under the bar that leaves Jean Louchet with no chance (1-1). 45+2nd minute: The home side took the lead just before half-time (2-1). Half-time: Villefranche 2-1 VAFC 57th minute: Bryan Passi scored his second goal to equalise for VA with a curling shot from inside the box (2-2). 63rd minute: Valenciennes took the lead thanks to Ahmed Diomandé. (2-3) End of the match: Villefranche 2-3 VAFC! Allez VA !!