Valenciennes

[Holmes_and_Watson]

56 minutes ago, ChristopheVAFC said:

I have no idea what will happen to Pierre.

The club is talking about "relieving him of his duties with the first team," rather than a precautionary suspension pending dismissal.

At the academy, the league seasons have got off to a good start, and all the coaches are firmly in place.

He will either become an assistant for the first team or move to the academy, but nothing is certain...

Thanks. 

On paper, the players brought in are of a level of a club looking to stabilise in their current division. Then hopefully, with enough about them to develop beyond their current ability.

There's a bit more sense about the overall numbers and squad depth. But still a fair amount to do.

Hopefully the next coach will be able to make all that click, as Tonda was following Still for us. But if not, the recruitment team, or those making the buying decisions, should be moved along too.

[ChristopheVAFC]

Quote

https://www.lavoixdunord.fr/1745726/article/2026-10-12/pierre-blois-deja-ecarte-va-toujours-plus-loin-dans-la-spirale-de-l-instabilite

With Pierre Blois already sidelined and VA spiraling ever deeper into instability, what game is Valenciennes really playing?

By sacrificing head coach Pierre Blois—whom they had gone to great lengths to keep this summer—VAFC has pushed the boundaries of its own instability even further. Does the northern club, currently 15th in Ligue 3, even know where it is heading?

History will record that Pierre Blois was dismissed following a 13–0 victory over Habarcq (D1) in the Coupe de France on Saturday—the biggest win in the club's history. Such a scenario has surely rarely occurred in the turbulent saga of mid-season managerial sackings, whether at VA or elsewhere.

It is a detail that is at once trivial—the internet was quick to seize on the comic side of the situation—and symptomatic of the increasingly baffling way Valenciennes is moving forward. Or, rather, failing to move forward.

For the sixth consecutive season—and the fourth since the investment fund Sport Republic took the helm—the club is changing coaches mid-campaign, though Pierre Blois, dismissed after just nine league matches, sets a record for how early this has happened.

Yet, only a few weeks ago, he was the new star, a rising talent, the architect of a future revival; VAFC and its management had pulled out all the stops to enable him to complete his coaching qualifications in Scotland so he could take charge of the team in Ligue 3.

That status as a promising prospect deserving of time lasted barely three months. After a successful stint as caretaker last year—from February to May—Pierre Blois ultimately spent very little time in the top job: appointed in July following a drawn-out saga, only to be sacked by early October.

A brief interim before an experienced coach arrives

The 32-year-old coach is clearly paying the price for a poor start to the season—8 points and two wins in nine matches. He must have been devastated to hear the news this Monday morning, just as he was preparing for the upcoming game against Amiens this Saturday.

His relationship with sporting director Jean-Christophe Cesto—who had originally championed his appointment—had soured, particularly over summer recruitment; this played a role in his dismissal, as did a dressing room that had grown tense due to the lack of results.

Ultimately, the most surprising aspect is the timing of his removal, though Valenciennes has long been an enigma—even to its most loyal, yet increasingly disillusioned, supporters. Samuel Goethals will take charge on an interim basis before an experienced coach arrives. Pierre Blois’s future within the club remains to be clarified.

Ousted after three months, he fell victim to the ruthless indifference professional football shows coaches who fail to deliver results. This is especially true at Valenciennes, perhaps more so than elsewhere. It raises a genuine question: does the root of the problem always lie with the person in the dugout?

[FredVaFC59100]

Hello Friends, I hope you are all doing well ?

Today, our two morons heading the club into oblivion (Yoann Godin and Jean-Christophe Cesto) held that 45-minute press conference.

I was really worried we would get an actual explanation for why they sacked Pierre Blois. Instead we got 45min of meaningless buzzwords designed to make a total catastrophe sound like a planned long term vision from moron in chief Godin. Truly groundbreaking stuff. At this rate, the only thing they'll be driving use next season is right into the relegation zone.

Football: Key takeaways from Valenciennes' press conference following Pierre Blois' dismissal

Four days after Pierre Blois was dismissed, Yoann Godin, the president of VAFC, and Jean-Christophe Cesto, the sporting director, spoke for the first time. Without any major revelations.Sharing :Add to Google's favorite sources

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ByJulien DufourierAndSébastien Chédozeau

Published: October 16, 2026 at 11:44 AM Reading time: 2 min

Yoann Godin and Jean-Christophe Cesto spoke for approximately 45 minutes this Friday to discuss the dismissal of Pierre Blois and, more broadly, the club's situation. Here are the key takeaways:

• “  Results are just the tip of the iceberg; that’s what everyone looks at, but we also look at what’s happening under the hood,  ” explained Yoann Godin. Pierre Blois therefore paid the price for the poor results as much as for a method that clearly failed to convince.
• Negotiations are underway with Pierre Blois regarding his future. The now-former Valenciennes coach could remain with the club or leave permanently; everything will be clarified in the coming weeks. In any case, Pierre Blois will continue his coaching development in Scotland.
• “  We were very clear with Samuel  (Goethals)  ,” the club management confirmed, adding that he will lead the team on Saturday against Amiens on an interim basis, a role that is by no means intended to be permanent. The club has already received numerous applications to take over the position.

More information to come...

[Holmes_and_Watson]

Ouch for Pierre Blois: having to go into his coaching course, knowing that the club putting him through it have lost faith in his ability to be a coach. Still, the club will be paying him to get his badges.

Although the decision makers found the approach that no longer works, worked very well for them last season. 

Almost as if the problems were not just at the coaching level.

[FredVaFC59100]

1 hour ago, Holmes_and_Watson said:

Ouch for Pierre Blois: having to go into his coaching course, knowing that the club putting him through it have lost faith in his ability to be a coach. Still, the club will be paying him to get his badges.

Although the decision makers found the approach that no longer works, worked very well for them last season. 

Almost as if the problems were not just at the coaching level.

How is that the guy, Godin, who has been supervising this disaster since day one, has fired everybody but himself ?

Many blame Godin, but I blame SR even more: If you hire a moron and keep him in charge for 4 years with constant failure then you are a moron yourself . 

SR/Godin have to go; I don't care where the club restarts from; multi propriety club model is a scam for feeder clubs like Valenciennes is aiming to be. It sucks the identity out of the club if it ever had one.