ChristopheVAFC

Hello friends. Congratulations on the victory over the Norwegians! On to the semi-final! Please, for France's sake, beat that Argentina team! I would be grateful! Have a great Sunday!

Hello everyone. I hope you’re doing well and staying cool. Here’s the latest news from Valenciennes this Sunday morning: ** PRE-SEASON / FRIENDLY MATCHES ** Valenciennes resumed training on June 25th under the guidance of Pierre Blois and Rudy Mater. There have been a few departures and arrivals, of course, with the goal of building a more balanced squad featuring motivated, committed players who are ready to give their all for the Valenciennes shirt. Friendly Match 1: US Dunkerque (Ligue 2) vs. Valenciennes FC (Ligue 3) Saturday, July 4, 2026, in Calais Valenciennes won 2–0. - Zaid Amir (24') - Charles Abi (32') ------------------------------ Friendly Match 2: Valenciennes FC (Ligue 3) vs. FCV Dender EH (Belgian Ligue 2) Saturday, July 11, 2026, in Valenciennes (training center) Valenciennes won 3–0. - Kylian KOUAKOU (50') - Kylian KOUAKOU (55') - Kylian KOUAKOU (58') Upcoming friendly matches: - July 15: Anderlecht U23 in Brussels - July 18: Kortrijk in Kortrijk ** July 19–23: 4-day training camp at Southampton's Staplewood Campus - July 22: Eastleigh FC at Silverlake Stadium - July 25: vs. UNFP (unattached players) in Valenciennes - July 31: US Boulogne (Ligue 2) at Stade du Hainaut The first league match will be played on August 7 - Caen (Normandy) vs. Valenciennes ** COACH / TECHNICAL STAFF ** The club and Sport Republic aim to retain Pierre Blois and Rudy Mater; last year, the club paid €7,500 per match because Pierre Blois—who does not hold the required coaching license—was sitting on the Valenciennes bench. This year, had the coach not been enrolled in a certification course, the FFF would have required the club to pay €15,000 per match. The solution found by the club: The Scottish Football Association has agreed to accept Pierre into their program so he can obtain his license and become fully compliant. The club is awaiting the FFF's decision to approve this arrangement. ** SQUAD UPDATE / PLAYER DEPARTURES & ARRIVALS ** Official departures: - Ylan EL HAHARY (return from loan to Paris FC) - Alexi KOUM (return from loan to Marseille) - Streddair APPUAH (return from loan to Palermo) - Rémy BOISSIER (end of contract) - signed with Amiens SC (Ligue 3) - Alain IPIELE (Free agent) - Alexandre COEFF (Free agent) - Julles COLLET (end of contract) - signed with Saint-Amand-les-Eaux (6th division) - Quentin DAUBIN (end of contract) - Free agent, training with UNFP (squad for unattached players) - Ahmed DIOMANDE (end of contract) - Sakhalou NIAKATE (end of contract) - signed with Grenoble (Ligue 2) - Calvin OBIN (Free agent) - Samy BAGHDADI (Permanent transfer to Sochaux - Ligue 2) - Loik LANDRE (Contract termination) Official arrivals: - Mael ZOGBA (Le Puy Foot 43 / National 2) - Rayane EKRA (Olympique Alès / National 3) - Salif LEBOUATH (Pau FC / National 3) - Dany GOPROU (FC Rouen / Ligue 3) - Noam BLE (Blois Foot 41 / National 2) - Vincent MARCEL (FC Villefranche Beaujolais / Ligue 3) - Abou MEITE (FC Bobigny / National 2) - Zaid AMIR (FC Istres / National 2) - Luka BOITEAU (US Boulogne / Ligue 2) - Célestin NYEMB (First professional contract / VAFC Academy) ** OTHER NEWS ** - The new jerseys will be unveiled in late July. - The city-center shop is moving in September to larger, more affordable premises. - A second shop at the stadium is being planned. - Next season, only two stadium stands will be open (instead of three). - Supporter groups will be back to cheer on the players. - A new bus will be available for the players in 2027. That covers the latest news.

Shit !

It’s tricky to play against teams that focus heavily on defence. Being 2-0 down will open up some possibilities for the rest of the match.

Yes Mbappé ! 🇫🇷

Luckily, I don’t live in Paris lol 🤣

Hello everyone, As a supporter of Valenciennes and the French national team, let me tell you this: That Paraguay team and that refereeing are a disgrace to world football, and I’m choosing my words carefully this morning. Fortunately, real football came out on top last night!

Good match for tonight my friends 🔥

My questions: Analyze VAFC's 7 new signings for me—can they help the club have a great season? Mael ZOGBA Rayane EKRA Salif LEBOUATH Dany GOPROU Noam BLÉ Vincent MARCEL Abou MEITE Is this a coherent and ambitious recruitment drive for Ligue 3? AI response: Wait and see...

Hello friends, I hope you’re doing well and enjoying this break from our teams' usual schedule—thankfully, the World Cup is here to keep us occupied. Here’s some news from Valenciennes today. Training for the new season kicks off this Thursday, June 25, at the training center. I mentioned four new signings last time, and just recently, three more have been officially confirmed: You can tell the management wants to recruit smartly rather than spending huge sums, which had been the case in recent years. I asked the AI about Valenciennes' current transfer activity, and I’ve included its response right below. Have a great rest of the day, friends!

Hello everyone, I hope you're all doing well and that everything is going smoothly for you. Today, Valenciennes welcomes a new signing: Dany Goprou, from FC Rouen, the same club where Charles Abi also comes from. After Mael Zogba (central defender), Rayane Ekra (forward), and Salif Lebouath (right-back/winger), this is the fourth new signing to arrive in Valenciennes today. I think there will be a few more new players soon. Have a good Friday, everyone.

Larinnnnn 🔥🔥🔥

Good evening, everyone. I hope you’re all well this evening. I’m currently in Lille for the France v Northern Ireland match, and sitting right in front of me is Saints player Sea Charles. Have a good evening.

Hello everyone, I hope you’re all well? I wanted to give you an update from Valenciennes. Things are generally quiet here at the moment; we fans are looking forward to the World Cup to pass the time until the season starts again. I’d also like to wish the England team a great World Cup. I mentioned earlier that Bryan Passi might be extending his contract; it was made official this week – the player will now stay at Valenciennes until 2028. I also wanted to congratulate you on the recent contract extensions for Peterz and Larin, and I think this will encourage other players to continue the adventure next year. I think that if the team doesn’t change much, it will be easier for you next year. This morning, the club announced the pre-season schedule and we were informed that Valenciennes will be holding a four-day training camp in Southampton, at the Staplewood Campus, and will face Eastleigh FC at Silverlake Stadium. I might make the trip; I’m still thinking about it, haha. Here is the full schedule: I’ll let you know if I’m coming along; if so, I’d be delighted to have a chat with some of you. Have a lovely Sunday, and Allez VA!

This announcement by P&O is a real vote of confidence in Southampton. That’s brilliant news!

It's about time Boro's fans looked at their own club first and demanded accountability for their two humiliating playoff defeats against us and Hull City. I'm not sure they'll have such a good league season next year. Their supporters should focus their efforts on their own club instead of constantly venting their hatred towards us.

I admit I'm bending the rules a bit with the translator, but I put a lot of heart into my answers. 😅 As for Boro, he should focus on building a team next year instead of constantly spewing hatred at our team. COYS !!

Now that Tonda's position on the bench seems secure for next season, I think the management should expect hostility from opposing fans throughout the season. I believe this negative energy will be an additional source of motivation that could lead to winning as many matches as possible on the pitch. We will have to respond to the criticism and attacks on the field, and the sooner we start winning matches, the sooner the negativity will subside.

Hello everyone. So, this morning, Dragan spoke out, and it was important for him to do so in order to answer the questions many of us have. As expected, Tonda retains the confidence of the board and, barring any FA sanctions, will be the Saints' manager next year. I think that despite the situation, it's a good decision because I also believe Tonda remains the club's best chance of returning to the Premier League next year. He knows the club, had an excellent second half of the season, and even did better than Russell, I think. Keeping him saves time because he understands the squad's needs for next year. Next year, however, the board will need to implement monitoring tools to prevent this kind of thing from happening again. The integrity of the club is now at stake. I certainly hope this affair won't have repercussions on Sport Republic's investments in Goztepe and Valenciennes, as they'll need to make up for the financial losses in Southampton. We must be vigilant, because money is the lifeblood of any club, especially regarding the club's sponsors, who represent a significant source of revenue. Now, what will the team be like next year? The work begins now... For the fans, the hardest part will be regaining their trust; it will take time, a lot of time... Best of luck to everyone.

So, to summarize: - DS also found out at the same time as everyone else and must have been furious. - PP learned about the espionage on the day of the photo and tried to calm things down during the first leg with the Boro management, without success. - WS went there, voluntarily or by force? Only the internal investigation will tell; it seems he's a pawn sacrificed in this whole affair. - TE wasn't aware that it was forbidden in England. This version is certainly possible, but he would still have approved the project. Why didn't he take the time to think about it and consult the competition rules? I do have questions about the entire video review unit, though. I imagine some people in that department have been there for several seasons and must know what's allowed and what isn't. I'll say it again, and I think that ultimately the club really needs to take the time to get to the bottom of this, establish everyone's responsibilities, and impose the necessary sanctions on a case-by-case basis. I would much rather the club communicate in mid-June than now, while the investigation is still ongoing. I understand you, and I know you'd like answers to your questions. I would feel the same way if this had happened in Valenciennes. What do you think, friends?

Thanks for the additional information, @Holmes_and_Watson my friend. I'm always a fan of my club, and it's great to see. Sport Republic announced a few months ago that they wanted to invest a little less in the club, without completely cutting back, of course. They want to spend wisely and not just any old way. Besides, not being promoted hasn't exactly helped Dragan's finances, haha. They are still making an effort at the moment, though, by replacing the pitch. They've already done the one at the training center, and they're currently working on the one at the Stade du Hainaut. Next week, they'll do the one for the reserve team, which is also located at the club's training center. As for building the team for next season, I think the idea is to recruit "smartly" by looking for players with a lot of potential at a low cost. Recruiting players from the fourth and third divisions, like Ekra, Zogba, and Lebouath, is proof of that. I also expect contract extensions. I know that Passi, for example, whom our interim coach, Pierre Blois, greatly appreciated, could stay for another season. As for the rest, I have confidence in Jean Christophe Cestos and Johannes Spors to build a team that, initially, will need to gel well on the pitch. The players will need to develop a good understanding quickly to save time. Regarding the coach, Mr. Pierre Blois, our French Tonda, would like to stay, but he doesn't have the required coaching license for Ligue 3. The club is currently looking for solutions; this is a developing situation. Have a good Sunday, everyone.

I’ve seen Arsenal lose twice this season – the first time at St Mary’s in the FA Cup and the second time tonight on TV. 😅😅

He was really well-liked and appreciated here in Valenciennes, truly. I really liked the energy he put in on the pitch, his determination; he really wasn’t afraid to get stuck in against opponents and often even prevented the goalkeeper from clearing the ball. I do think, however, that he’s not far off securing a place in your team; he needs to build up quite a bit more muscle mass as he’s likely to be given a hard time next season. Personally, I would have liked him to stay at Valenciennes next year. I sincerely wish him all the best. He’s a lovely person.

My friend, that’s precisely the question mark hanging over Tonda; the FA’s investigation could turn things on their head and see Tonda banned for 18 months from sitting on a football dugout, which would allow them to show everyone that the governing body won’t be doing anyone any favours. Even though the prevailing view among the Saints’ supporters is that Tonda should stay on, it remains to be seen what will happen in the coming weeks. We’ll also need to keep an eye on the decision by the board and the club’s management, as they wrote in the statement: “But it is clear that trust must now be rebuilt. This work begins immediately. The club will reflect carefully on the events that have led up to this point, learn from them and take the necessary steps to move forward responsibly.” You are right to take all this in your stride; the damage is done and it is now time to move on for the sake of your club’s great history.

As the days go by, I'm increasingly convinced Tonda has a chance of staying next season despite the controversy. His record speaks for itself; he's managed to bring a new dynamic to the team. Today, the press is reporting that the majority of players want him to stay, and I've also read that Tonda is now highly sought after in other countries, where clubs would be ready to sign him if he were dismissed. One thing to watch is the FA investigation, which could potentially jeopardize Tonda's position on the bench. If I had to give my prediction today: 60% chance he stays and 40% chance he leaves. To be continued!