ChristopheVAFC

VAFC: Under Sport Republic's ownership, coaches are coming and going, already six in less than three seasons! Pierre Blois is serving as interim manager at Valenciennes FC following the departure of Stéphane Moulin, officially announced on Tuesday. This makes him the sixth man in this coaching position, which has become a hot seat since Sport Republic took control of the club. Jorge Maciel, Ahmed Kantari, Stéphane Mangione, Vincent Hognon, Stéphane Moulin, Pierre Blois… With Sport Republic, the coaches parade by… - Archive photos by Sami Belloumi, Christophe Lefebvre and Pierre Rouanet At this rate, Valenciennes FC under Sport Republic will soon have nothing to envy in Waldemar Kita's FC Nantes, which has managed the feat of going through thirteen coaches since 2016… The British investment fund is now on its sixth in less than three seasons in Hainaut. And soon it will be seven, as Pierre Blois is only there to serve as interim manager following Stéphane Moulin's departure, finalized on Monday. Moulin rather than Hognon Sport Republic, the buyer of Valenciennes FC (VAFC), then still in Ligue 2, in July 2023, hastily appointed Jorge Maciel, a move that led to disaster. Brought in to extinguish the flames in December of the same year, Ahmed Kantari failed to do so, despite reaching and losing the Coupe de France semi-final in Lyon. Confirmed at the end of the season, the former reserve team coach was tasked with promotion but couldn't withstand the string of poor results. His assistant, Stéphane Mangione, had to replace him at short notice for two matches at the end of November 2024, while the club reached an agreement with Vincent Hognon. Under Hognon's leadership, the team made a spectacular recovery before collapsing in the final stretch, convincing the Valenciennes board that, once again, a complete overhaul was necessary. Stéphane Moulin, upon his appointment in May 2025, was there to build a long-term project… Valenciennes coaches according to Sport Republic July – December 2023: Jorge Maciel December 2023 – November 2024: Ahmed Kantari November – December 2024: Stéphane Mangione December 2024 – June 2025: Vincent Hognon June 2025 – February 2026: Stéphane Moulin February 2026…: Pierre Blois

VAFC: After Stéphane Moulin's departure, Pierre Blois and Rudy Mater already at work Once Stéphane Moulin's departure was confirmed, VAFC had to find an emergency solution internally to ensure continuity at the helm of the first team. They called upon Pierre Blois and Rudy Mater, two coaches from the youth academy, to take over on an interim basis. They led their first training session this Tuesday morning. Four VAFC players (Gaëtan Courtet, Romain Thomas, Loïck Landre, Alexandre Coeff) are older than him, but that didn't prevent Pierre Blois, who led his first training session as head coach of the professional squad this Tuesday morning following Stéphane Moulin's departure, from asserting his authority. "When you win the ball back, I want you to be like dogs!" Things are moving very quickly for the young coach (31 years old) who was still in charge of the U17s a year ago. He had already served as interim manager for three weeks, but in an assistant role, working alongside Vincent Hognon, on whom he had made a strong impression. Promoted mid-season last year to head the reserve team, which he was unable to save from relegation to the Regional 1 division, he has now been recalled for a short-term assignment while the club searches for the ideal candidate: a coach holding the BEPF (Professional Football Coaching Certificate), which is mandatory in the National league under penalty of fines. Rudy Mater at the service of "his" club At the forefront, the man who told us in March 2025 that he loves learning will be assisted by a legendary figure, Rudy Mater (45 years old), the club's most capped player, for whom he played 389 matches between 2002 and 2014, and whose testimonial match drew 8,000 people to the Stade du Hainaut in May. On his social media, the former full-back, who coaches Valenciennes' U18 team, expressed his "pride" at having been chosen on Tuesday. "I thank the management for the trust they have placed in me. With seriousness and determination, we will maximize our work together to ensure a smooth, constructive, and forward-looking transition."

I don't know if the regulations concerning coaching qualifications are different in your country than they are here, but here, they can coach without qualifications but will be fined for each match (between €5,000 and €10,000 per match, I believe). In interviews over the past few months, since October/November, we could sense that something was wrong, that his message wasn't getting through, that the players weren't buying into his approach... He said he didn't have a solution, tried things that didn't work... Our interim coaches come from the training centre, so there's a good chance that some young players will be called up. I think that Rento, for example, who is above the other players in the B team, could get some playing time. There's no doubt that things will be different. Here's a press article about today's training session.

National League: The story between VAFC and Stéphane Moulin comes to an end Faced with a persistent lack of results and the looming threat of relegation to National 2, the relationship between VAFC and Stéphane Moulin has ended. The two parties decided on Monday to part ways by mutual agreement. This was officially announced by the club in a press release this Tuesday morning. The interim role, pending the search for a successor, will be entrusted to the reserve team coach, Pierre Blois. The weather had cleared up early Tuesday morning over Valenciennes, but appearances can be deceiving. Rumors had been circulating since Monday evening that the relationship between VAFC and Stéphane Moulin was about to end. This was confirmed Tuesday morning, with the club announcing in a statement that both parties had decided to part ways amicably, meaning there would be no dismissal. The financial implications for the manager, who was under contract until 2027, remain unknown. In the statement, unusually, he explained that he had "decided to step down, solely in the best interests of the club." He thanked everyone, particularly the management, for the trust they had shown him. He leaves, accompanied by his trusted assistant Patrice Sauvaget, just nine months after his arrival, despite the initial plan to build something with him, if not for the long term, at least for a period long enough to bring a degree of stability. That plan failed. Valenciennes is starting from scratch again, having realized that things weren't clicking. On Saturday, Stéphane Moulin's job was safe… The 2-1 defeat suffered on Friday against bottom-of-the-table Saint-Brieuc, their tenth loss of the season, clearly puts Valenciennes in danger of relegation (the first team in the relegation zone, QRM, is now only seven points behind if we take into account the one-point penalty imposed after the pitch invasion against Sochaux, a decision the club is still undecided about appealing). This is clearly unthinkable for the owner, Sport Republic, tired of losing money since taking over in the summer of 2023. General manager Yoann Godin was still insisting on Saturday that Stéphane Moulin's job was safe. It's well known in professional football that it's often after offering this kind of assurance that a manager's job rolls. President Dirk Gerkens had first assured him of the SR group's support a week before Christmas, when the results were already far from impressive. During the winter transfer window, Stéphane Moulin got what he wanted: the arrival of new players (Charles Abi, Erin Airhiavbere, Bryan Passi, Quentin Daubin) to create the complementary skills he hadn't been able to achieve until then. Pierre Blois to take over as interim manager There has been some improvement since then (Bourg-en-Bresse, Rouen). But it has never been sustainable, as demonstrated by the defeats in Le Puy, against Orléans and then Bourg-en-Bresse, and the team has never shown any real signs of recovery. Faced with this situation, both parties concluded on Monday that it was best not to continue. The club will therefore begin the search for a new qualified coach (the BEPF coaching diploma is mandatory to coach in the National league, otherwise fines apply). In the meantime, the interim role has been entrusted to Pierre Blois, who until now managed the reserve team, currently top of their group in R1. He will be assisted by Rudy Mater, who is in charge of the U18 team. Both will be on the bench this Friday in Paris 13.

Stéphane Moulin is leaving the club along with his assistant, Patrice Sauvaget, and is being replaced by: - Pierre Blois: currently the coach of Valenciennes' reserve team, which is currently first in the "Regional 1" league, the sixth tier of French football (our first team is in the third tier). A product of the club's youth academy, he has coached many of the club's youth teams and has been in charge of Valenciennes' reserve team for the past two years. - Rudy Mater: a Valenciennes native and former player for the club, with over 300 appearances for VAFC, he was, along with others, instrumental in the club's golden era between 2004 and 2014. He knows the club's work ethic better than anyone and will bring his experience to this team, which is currently experiencing some uncertainty. They are appointed as interim coaches while a permanent replacement is sought. Can Pierre be the new Tonda, just like you? To be continued...

Unfortunately, this decision had become inevitable and almost inevitable... While they had gained some ground with the victory in Rouen, the two home defeats, particularly against Orléans and Saint-Brieuc, proved detrimental. We had sensed for some months now that communication between the coach and the players was no longer working... It is up to the players to understand the decision made today by management. The objective is to maintain the team's position in this National 1 championship, which will become Ligue 3 next year and become a professional league.

VAFC Press Release: Stéphane Moulin's Departure VAFC and Stéphane Moulin have decided to end their collaboration, effective Tuesday, February 17. Assistant coach Patrice Sauvaget is also leaving his position. Appointed first-team coach at the start of the season, Stéphane Moulin carried out his duties with professionalism and dedication. VAFC wishes to thank both men and extends its best wishes for their future endeavors. Pending the appointment of a new coach, the interim period will be managed by Pierre Blois, coach of the VAFC reserve team, assisted by Rudy Mater, coach at the club's youth academy, who will be tasked with preparing for upcoming matches. VAFC remains fully committed and united behind its team to approach this period with determination and responsibility. Stéphane Moulin: "It is with regret that I must resign from my position." Despite the difficulties encountered, I persevered, but it's clear that the results are not satisfactory. Like the coaches who preceded me, I haven't been able to reverse the trend. Therefore, solely in the best interest of the club, I have decided to step down. I would like to thank the management who placed their trust in me, the staff for their welcome, and all the supporters of VAFC. I wish the players and the club all the best for the remainder of the season.

Yoann won't be leaving anytime soon. 😉

Personally, I don't blame my player because he's doing his best. Of course, many of our supporters expect more from him, want him to be more decisive and score more goals, because he's considered a striker. Rumours also say that he has one of the highest salaries in the club and therefore, inevitably, he has to justify it. He realised he had lost the ball on Friday and tried to make up for it and help the other players, but unfortunately our opponents scored a goal and so some of the crowd turned on him... In my opinion, he's neither the best nor the worst. The problem lies elsewhere and we really need to find a solution to our issues with confidence, efficiency and communication... Our players each have their qualities, that's undeniable, but it's difficult to understand why our players can't play at their level... That's the paradox of our team this season...

Gaetan Courtet's apology on Instagram:

Hello Friend's ! Today press: National League: "We're not actually scary," Valenciennes confronted with their shortcomings and doubts While the victory in Rouen certainly didn't make them a title contender, Valenciennes, still recovering, fell ill again on Friday with a 2-1 home defeat, their sixth loss of the season, this time against bottom-of-the-table Saint-Brieuc. The grim reality: survival is now the priority. As he was substituted (79th minute), Gaëtan Courtet was booed off the pitch at the Stade du Hainaut, embodying the frustration of a crowd weary of waiting for a turnaround that never materializes. Frustrated and furious, the captain stormed to the locker room, tearing off his jersey in a fit of anger. This didn't go unnoticed, especially by the commentators who have been harshly criticizing him on social media since Friday. He apologized on Instagram on Saturday but will be sanctioned by the club for this gesture. It's the way things are when results aren't forthcoming. Gaëtan Courtet was booed by the crowd as he left the pitch in the 79th minute. His visceral reaction did not go unnoticed. - Photo Christophe Lefebvre The club's general manager, Yoann Godin, knows this all too well, as he tries his best to "keep a cool head" and weather the storm. He doesn't intend to part ways with Stéphane Moulin now, whose distress is understandable but also raises questions. "We'll have a meeting with the coach and Mathieu (Frison, the sporting coordinator), as we do every Monday. We need to be honest with each other and try to move forward together. The important thing is that the coach is with us and believes in us." » Weaknesses As exciting as it was, the 2-1 victory in Rouen, against the league leaders, achieved with unwavering determination, didn't make Valenciennes a potential champion. Stéphane Moulin is well aware of his team's weaknesses: "effective about once every five matches," capable of eight shots on target, as on Friday, hitting the woodwork twice, and scoring only one goal, in stoppage time. The stark assessment: "We're not exactly intimidating." And defensively, things aren't much better. "The standings in this league based on a single match mean nothing. I said based on a single match. That's why there are so many erratic results compared to the league table." “Stéphane Moulin, on the eve of VAFC – Saint-Brieuc The coach knew what to expect from Saint-Brieuc, the “false bottom” team determined to save themselves at all costs at the start of the year, and who, before unsettling VA on Friday (1-2), had held Dijon (0-0) and Sochaux (1-1). “The hierarchy of this league based on a single match means nothing. I said based on a single match. That’s why there are so many erratic results compared to the standings,” he observed the day before this latest defeat, the sixth conceded at home by his team, who are also the only ones to have lost, and twice at that, against Saint-Brieuc. What does this say about this team? Stéphane Moulin remains perplexed: “I have absolutely no idea… But it’s certainly not to our credit.” “ To make matters worse, Valenciennes, now 13th, saw QRM, the first team in the relegation zone, close the gap to seven points after their 2-1 victory over Concarneau on Thursday. The order of the mission has changed: “The objective is to secure our place in the league as quickly as possible,” insists Yoann Godin. This will allow them to prepare for the future with a minimum of peace of mind.”

I really love the name of this topic. 🤣

VAMOS !!! Congratulation Saint's Friends !!!

Thanks for the link 🙏 COYS !

That's exactly right, my friend. Sometimes I feel like they want to score with the ball... Sometimes you have to take a chance and dare to create opportunities. We often have possession, but unfortunately we don't score many goals, which is frustrating because we could score at least three goals in every match, and that would make things easier for us. It does seem like they're afraid and don't dare to... Do we need a mental coach? Do we need to work even harder on our play in front of goal during training? Our players need to let loose and not be afraid to take chances.