ChristopheVAFC

The third ingredient: the president's absence from day-to-day operations. We're not used to this way of doing things, to the point that some fans only discovered his name this week through an article published on the club's website. The club is therefore currently managed by a general manager, accompanied by a communications director. While we acknowledge their generally decent work since their arrival, their expertise in sporting matters appears somewhat limited. Finally, in the stands, a majority of supporters today are young people who did not experience the glory years between 2005 and 2013. Their frustration is very strong and their patience is probably less than that of older supporters. A meeting was recently held with the club's management. What were the outcomes? For several months, we had been working with the club on a sanctions schedule. The rules and consequences of certain actions were not sufficiently clear. We had also asked the club to reconsider its stance regarding the systematic filing of complaints for incidents that, in our opinion, did not cross the line. Without going into detail, we made a proactive contribution and accepted and approved this schedule a few weeks before the match against Sochaux. In this document, we asked the club to commit to summoning supporters in the event of a breach of the club's internal regulations. The purpose of this meeting was therefore for the club to request explanations and inform us of the action it intended to take. What consequences do you fear, given that the club has reportedly filed a complaint against those who accessed the pitch against Sochaux? That's what we were told, anyway: formal complaints against those identified, complaints against persons unknown for the others, all accompanied by a six-month stadium ban. Some fans could receive these letters as early as Christmas week… a rather unfortunate trend, these notifications during the holiday season. The club's desire to take a firm stance is understandable, but what's most apparent is a fear of the disciplinary committee's reaction. As mentioned earlier, the sanctions table—admittedly imperfect—was precisely intended to clarify matters. However, the club has informed us of its intention to modify it and add lines beyond this infamous "red line." The disagreement lies here: for us, this pitch-side intervention corresponds to line 2, or even 3, of the penalty table, which carries a three-month suspension of season tickets, without the need for a formal complaint, for a first offense. If the club subsequently believes the table is incomplete and wishes to make adjustments, that's fine; we remain open to dialogue. However, we cannot accept that the sanctions applied are not those stipulated at the time of the incident. In your very scathing statement , you also pointed the finger at the club's responsibility. For what reasons? The club cannot place all the blame on us; that would be too easy. We are responsible and we will accept the consequences of this action. But it must also be acknowledged that the club very poorly managed the preparation for this match and the organization on the day itself. Since 2014 and the relegation to Ligue 2, the club has no real Director of Organization and Security (DOS). This role was added to the duties of the head of general services, with whom there is virtually no dialogue. We've had several clashes in the past, and certain remarks, such as "pseudo-supporters" made on his social media, have never been acceptable to us. During the week of the match, despite the high tension surrounding the game, neither management nor he contacted us. We also criticize the club for having, once again, changed security companies. Securing a lively section of the stands is complex, and the current company, like its employees, lacks the necessary experience and skills. We are convinced that with a proper Operations Directorate (ODS), serious preparation beforehand, a real presence with the stand leaders, and the involvement of known and respected stewards, this event would never have happened, or at least not in this way. That much is certain. How are you approaching the second half of the season given that the club is not out of the woods yet in terms of sporting performance? As far as we're concerned, barring any major changes, the season is over. We can't return to the stadium under these circumstances and without a large portion of our players. We will therefore be preparing, with our lawyer, for the legal consequences. On the pitch, we hope for a genuine awakening of the players' conscience, but also for profound changes in the organizational structure, with the arrival of a true sporting director, a successful transfer window, and a decent end to the season to secure our place in the league as quickly as possible, in order to best prepare for next season. Interview by Romain PECHON and Enzo PAILOT Well, well, the shoddy journalists at 11hdf have struck again, how surprising! All they know how to do is write trashy articles attacking the club, just trying to stir up controversy... Journalism is a real profession and not everyone is cut out for it. They should go to Lille or Lens, where the grass is probably greener! A saying to end with: ‘If you're not there during my struggles, my doubts and my failures, don't expect to be there during my victories and successes.’

Let's go Saint's !!!!

Joyeux Noel tout le monde ! Merry Christmas everyone !

Thank you very much. Happy holidays to all Southampton supporters, your friends and family. I wish you all the best for 2026!

My friends, it's time for me to share my thoughts with you as the year draws to a close. I know that my fellow countryman will disagree with me, but I am giving you my sincere, realistic, and consistent point of view. Sport Républic arrived in the summer of 2023 and took over a club that was in very bad shape, on the verge of permanent closure, after 15 months of complicated negotiations with the former owner (on Monday, he wanted to sell the club, on Tuesday, he said he no longer wanted to sell, on Wednesday, he didn't know whether he was selling or not)... 2023/2024 season: SR finally took over the club late in the day (the other clubs had already done their recruitment), so they had to act quickly, and as the saying goes, it's not always possible to do things quickly and well. They recruited 15 players from all over the world, targeted via data, but in the end, they were relegated to the third division and two-thirds of the players they recruited left. This was their first mistake, but could he have done otherwise given the timeframe of the takeover? 2024/2025 season: In the second year, recruitment was a little better but not enough to get back into Ligue 2. The club was at the bottom of the table in the winter of 2024, but the second half of the season allowed them to finish in the middle of the table. There was also a change of sporting director, with Mathieu Frison replacing Ben Chorley, who was blamed by many fans for the team's poor performance. 2025/2026 season: new coach (Stéphane Moulin replaces Vincent Hognon, who left for Sochaux). The roster has undergone significant changes, with many departures and numerous arrivals (around 15 new players as of July 2023). This time, the goal is to avoid making the same mistakes as two years ago. The result: The recruitment of French players with experience in the French leagues. Frankly, for many Valenciennes fans, we all found the recruitment consistent and competitive this summer. We knew that it would take time for the players to get to know each other and for the team to gel. Six months later, the conclusion is clear: promising players are disappointing and not living up to expectations. No one really understands where these difficulties are coming from. Are they too comfortable? (The Stade du Hainaut and the training center are worthy of Ligue 1.) Are they under too much pressure in Valenciennes? Yet the salaries they are paid are higher than what most other third division clubs offer their players.... Is the coach's message no longer getting through? There are many questions here, and concern is understandable. The fans are expecting more, and the ambition is certainly there. So yes, SR isn't perfect, and probably never will be. They've made mistakes, and always will, but they're trying to correct them and are working hard to get results. The world of soccer is often difficult to gauge and very unpredictable. To say that I am not disappointed with this situation would be a lie, and to say that this situation satisfies me and also satisfies SR would also be a lie... The fans' reaction to Sochaux last Friday was logical and understandable, even if, in my opinion, there were other ways to show their dissatisfaction. What was done will penalize the club for the rest of the championship and is detrimental to the club... We, the Valenciennes fans, have been waiting 13 years for our club to regain its ambition and climb back up the leagues, so it's true that our impatience is legitimate. But it takes time for things to work out in the long term... This winter, the club will make some minor changes to the squad. I expect several players to leave and several to arrive. The players who join us in January will have to be ready and understand that expectations are high. To conclude, and as I have already said, I will always place my trust in SR, and I am convinced that sooner or later, the hard work will pay off and we will be smiling again in Valenciennes. I would also like to announce that I plan to pay you a visit for a weekend before the end of the season, and I hope to see some of you before a Saints game. My friends in Southampton, I wish you all a wonderful holiday season. Enjoy your friends and loved ones. Take care of yourselves. Joyeux Noël à tous et bonne année 2026 ! Allez VA !

In fact, of the €30 million invested by Sport Républic since July 2023: - Between €3 and €5 million was given to the former owner. (Who wanted to recover some of the money he had invested, even though I don't think he put much in over 10 years lol). - Between €5 million and €10 million was used to pay off the debts the club had at the time of the takeover (to companies, conflicts with former players). - The rest was used to upgrade the club (part of it for administrative purposes and the rest for sporting purposes). It may seem completely crazy, but an employee at the club could perform several functions (for example, taking care of ticketing and security at the same time). Today, the club has dozens more employees, and everyone does what they are supposed to do.

Dirk Gerkens, President of VAFC, reviews the first half of the season President of VAFC since January 2025, Dirk Gerkens addressed the club's current difficulties in a lengthy interview. He didn't shy away from any topic, discussing results, finances, and the future, and reviewed the first half of the season. - After 15 National league matches, VAFC sits 13th in the standings with 16 points. What is your assessment of the first half of the season? It's obviously disappointing, given the resources we've invested, both financially and in terms of our sporting performance. Our ambition was, and remains, to be at the top of the table. But for now, it's a major disappointment on the pitch. - How do you explain this situation? It's hard to understand. With the budget we have, the players we have, and the coach we have, nobody can really explain how we've ended up where we are today. Perhaps we need time to integrate the players and build team cohesion, but that's all. We haven't been spared from injuries either. But otherwise, I sometimes felt that some players could have done more. We undoubtedly have the best financial and sporting conditions in the National league. But the trade-off is that the players give their all and fight for Valenciennes' values. It has to be said that this wasn't always the case in the first half of the season. So I expect a change of attitude in 2026. - Under these circumstances, is Stéphane Moulin still the right man for the job? Yes. We've had a long discussion. And I think we're very lucky to have someone like Stéphane Moulin as our coach, someone with a wealth of experience. He has our full support. We want to continue working with him and give him all the tools he needs to improve the situation and revitalize the team. - What changes are you planning for the second half of the season to turn things around? The most logical option is to strengthen the squad during the winter transfer window. We have a good core group of players, but we need to reinforce certain positions, whether it's up front, in midfield, or in defense. - Will these arrivals during the transfer window necessarily involve departures? Ideally, yes. We don't want to have an overstaffed squad. More broadly, we really want to do everything we can to climb back up the table. There's still more than half a season to play, and anything is still possible, even if the gap has widened compared to the leaders. But things can change very quickly in football, for better or for worse. - During the last home match against Sochaux, some supporters tried to invade the pitch. What is your view on these events? Let me be very clear. I understand the anger, I understand the distress, and I understand the frustration in the stands. I myself am very frustrated right now. However, the incidents that occurred on Friday are completely unacceptable, and I strongly condemn them. We don't need this. It really doesn't help the club or the players in any way. All of this risks harming us in terms of sanctions. And again, we really don't need this right now. - It's been two and a half years since Sport Republic acquired Valenciennes FC. The group has already invested more than 30 million euros in the club, but the results haven't materialized. As a shareholder, are you frustrated by this situation? Absolutely. We've invested a huge amount of money in the club. The initial goal was to get promoted back to Ligue 1, not to end up in the National league. So yes, we're obviously disappointed on the pitch. And then there's another factor, which unfortunately isn't the club's responsibility: the overall state of the French football economy. Since our arrival in 2023, many things have changed negatively regarding television rights following the successive withdrawals of various rights holders. All of this has had a direct impact on the financial situation of French football, whether in Ligue 1, Ligue 2, or the National league. Today, even if we get promoted back to Ligue 2, it won't improve the club's revenue. And that's obviously a significant loss. It's something we can't ignore. - Given these difficulties, will the shareholder's financial support continue? Yes, Sport Republic will continue to support Valenciennes. I would like to remind everyone that since his arrival, the shareholder has invested an enormous amount of resources, unlike any other shareholder in the club's history. Our investment exceeds 30 million euros, and we haven't seen any return on that investment yet. We too often tend to forget these very significant financial sacrifices made by Sport Republic. I also feel that we are sometimes disrespected, considering everything that has been done to restructure the club over the past two and a half years. It's a shame to have such short memories, but that's the way it is. However, VAFC can no longer ignore the new economic reality facing all French clubs. Therefore, we will have to adapt, and this will necessarily involve a reduction in our financial resources. - What is your response to the criticism regarding Sport Republic's lack of daily presence in Valenciennes? Let me be perfectly clear: VAFC is neither managed nor run from abroad. The club is entirely managed in France, with a French general manager, a French sporting coordinator, and a French coach. It's not run like a satellite club. We don't impose players. Proof of this is that we don't see a dozen Southampton players arriving in the first team every season. Almost all the players in the current squad come from the French market. It's important to acknowledge this because it's the reality.

Will Still revient sur son départ de Lens pour Southampton : « Je regrette de ne pas avoir parlé plus tôt »

Mercato, sanctions, supporters… Valenciennes a cinq semaines de chantier pour s’en remettre - La Voix du Nord

Many here said that Ben Chorley was primarily responsible for the sporting situation in any case...

Penalty !!!

This is the first time I've seen this at the Stade du Hainaut since it opened in 2011... I'm sad tonight, because we all would have liked the season to go much better... As for SR, given that Southampton is doing better and things are going well at Goztepe, I think they'll work to make things better at Valenciennes, that's what I tell myself...

Just got back from the stadium... To be honest with you, friends, it was a tough night... I told you it would be a complicated and difficult match, and unfortunately that's how it turned out... We started the game badly with a defensive error that cost us the only goal of the match in the 5th minute, scored by Aymen BOUTOUTAOU, a former Valenciennes player who was still with us last season... As usual, we were unable to come back and the game continued... In the 90th minute, angry fans tried to storm the pitch but were blocked by around 50 stewards... The game was stopped for almost an hour before the announcer declared it over for good... May the holiday season be good to everyone, and I expect a lot more changes in January... Have a great night, friends!

Valenciennes – Sochaux: Tense situation with supporters, match abandoned During Valenciennes' match against Sochaux for the 16th round of the National league, some supporters left the stands and attempted to enter the pitch while the Hainaut club was trailing. They were quickly stopped by around thirty stewards. The referee abandoned the match. With Sochaux leading 1-0 at the start of stoppage time, several Valenciennes supporters left their section and tried to invade the pitch at the Stade du Hainaut. Around thirty stewards quickly intervened to prevent them. Faced with the situation, the referee decided to immediately stop the match and sent the 22 players back to the dressing rooms. The match was abandoned Around thirty helmeted police officers positioned themselves at the entrance to the tunnel to prevent supporters from accessing the Valenciennes stadium. The club's general manager, Yoann Godin, went to speak with them while they were still on the sidelines. It was no use… At 10:05 p.m., after more than thirty tense minutes, the referee decided to abandon the match.

Thank you 🙂