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The press after the match 2 National League: One goal, two saves, Sakhalou Niakaté's outstanding performance shines for Valenciennes The right-back made two crucial saves for his team before opening the scoring. He was the hero of the victory in Rouen. We don't know how many messages he received, but his phone nearly went haywire as he recounted his incredible evening. Sakhalou Niakaté certainly deserved the congratulations of his teammates from the youth academy, who will undoubtedly be talking about his performance in Rouen again when he comes to watch them play on Sunday against Saint-Amand in the top-of-the-table clash in the R1 league. In Normandy, he perfectly showed his teammates the way to win a big match. "A perfect evening" First, there were his two saves to keep his team in the game. Kenny Rocha's shot was about to go in (29th minute)? Niakaté headed the ball on the line with Jean Louchet beaten. Early in the second half, he had another chance to shine when, somehow, he tipped a ball over the bar that the whole stadium thought was heading for the goal (53rd minute). With a formidable opponent on his back, the imposing Ba Sy, Sakhalou Niakaté was pushed to his limits. "I asked everyone to do a little more, and he did, as he always does when I call on him," praised Stéphane Moulin. "And there you have it, three points!" The center-back by trade, deployed on the right in Rouen, also did that little something extra to stay true to his coach's vision: he opened the scoring and put Valenciennes on the path to victory. He won the corner after a thunderous 30-meter strike, which he promptly converted. "It's a perfect evening," he said, beaming, quickly bringing the joy of the moment back to the team. Niakaté's fine evening brought glory to Valenciennes and also rewarded a player who has been moving between the reserve team and the first team (6 matches, 2 goals) this season without getting carried away: "No matter where I play, I continue to work hard and I maintain the same determination. I only knew the day before the match that I was going to play; and there you have it, three points!" Simple as that.

The press after the match 1 National: "It's also for our fans," Valenciennes' huge upset in Rouen – now that's a team! VAFC celebrated a huge victory on the pitch of league leaders Rouen (2-1). Strong and united, the Valenciennes players returned home with all three points and proof that they are capable of great things. Could this be the true face of VA? Something always seems to happen on that Rouen pitch, which we're starting to think is blessed for VAFC. Two years after a French Cup quarter-final as crazy as it was historic, won on penalties, Valenciennes once again became a nightmare for the Normandy side, league leaders and only beaten once this season. This is a significant achievement for VA, who secured their first away win of the season. After so many evenings spent grimacing at performances or dwelling on setbacks, relief, joy, and the legitimate feeling of a job well done shook the locker room and the club's management in the stands. "We see what we're capable of." The happiness is immense, commensurate with the performance delivered in Normandy, given the hard-fought battle to return with such a full trophy. "I'm very proud of what the players showed," savored Stéphane Moulin. "There was solidarity, a desire to excel; when you put in the effort and believe in yourself, you see what you're capable of. We did just about everything right." The defense held firm under the pressure from the opposition before halftime. Niakaté, the standout player of the evening, cleared two balls off the line (29th, 53rd minutes), Louchet saved a close-range header (14th minute), and Valenciennes bent but didn't break. Often criticized this season, the Northerners displayed admirable solidarity this time, with clinical finishing to boot. Sakhalou Niakaté, rewarded for his outstanding performance, and then Stredair Appuah, with his first goal of the season, paved the way to victory for a team that also performed well in midfield and dug deep at the back. All of this feels like a turning point, one they'll need to confirm next week against Saint-Brieuc. Could this be the true face of Valenciennes? The future could be even brighter. In the meantime, VA is savoring the moment and looking ahead. "We know it's a tough time for them right now, so this is also a message for our supporters," said Stéphane Moulin with a smile. ROUEN – VALENCIENNES: 1-2 (0-0) Goals: Niakate (63'), Appuah (84') for Valenciennes, Fuss (90'+3) for Rouen Yellow cards: Passi (12'), Landre (43'), Louchet (79') for Valenciennes; Renel (90') for Rouen ROUEN: Temperton; Bouzamoucha, Goprou, Mendy; Goumot (Fuss 67'), Renel, Bezzekhami (Cartillier 82'), Bassin; Kéroudéan, Rocha (Guiry Egny 75'), Ba Sy. Foreign: Régis Brouard VAFC: Louchet; Niakate, Landre, Passi, Koum; Daubin (Boissier 75'), Maréchal, Rouai; El Hadary (Appuah 63'); Abi (Ipiele 82nd), Courtet (cap). Etr: Stéphane Moulin

Thank you for clarifying that, my friend. I didn't know that expression. 😅

Thank you for your congratulations, my friend! At this hour, there aren't any big restaurants open anymore, haha. 🤣

The match has just ended on the pitch in Rouen. A ray of sunshine in this difficult season with a 2-1 victory for Valenciennes. I can only hope that this victory will restore the players' confidence and morale. This result is unexpected, but it's three points that give us some breathing space and allow us to move away from the bottom of the table. We'll sleep well tonight and have a good weekend. Allez VA !

I'm not making the trip tonight, but the players have been there since last night and the few fans who are making the trip are on their way.

Have a good rest tonight, my friend! Let's hope for a good result indeed!

National League: "Even in R1, he was already a pro," says Thibault Maréchal, who seized his second chance at Valenciennes. Released by Lens in 2022, the midfielder returned to amateur football before bouncing back into the professional ranks at Valenciennes. Impressed by his determination, those who helped him relaunch his career are not surprised by his increasingly frequent appearances in the National League. Slowly but surely, Thibault Maréchal is making his mark. Without making a fuss, without demanding anything, the midfielder is gradually establishing himself in the National League squad. This will come as no surprise to those who regularly watch Valenciennes reserve matches, who quickly recognized his technical ability and work rate, clearly a cut above the rest in R1. A starter against Orléans, not in the squad the previous week in Le Puy but already in the starting eleven against Bourg-en-Bresse, Maréchal isn't yet a guaranteed starter, but his trajectory is upward, and he'll be traveling to face league leaders Rouen this Friday. Stéphane Moulin, who discovered him this season, quickly invited him to training, and his first minutes in the National league came at the end of October, during the victory against QRM. "After every match, the opposing coaches would come up to me and say, 'Who is this player?'" What struck me was how humble he was," said Benoît Cordiez, his coach at Aire three years ago. The journey has only just begun, but the path taken by the 23-year-old midfielder validates the dedication he showed after being released by Lens in 2022. Despite dozens of training sessions with the first team and regular appearances in the National 2 (fourth tier), Thibault Maréchal didn't make the cut. He never gave up on his ambition to reach the highest level. Originally from Aire-sur-la-Lys, he bounced back there to relaunch his career. "His cousin was on my team, and when I learned he wasn't being kept on by Lens, we contacted him, and he immediately became a driving force," recalls Benoît Cordiez, then coach at Aire. "After every match, opposing coaches would come up to me and say, 'Who is this player?'" What struck me was how humble he was. Because I've seen players who have reached the top and then come back down, and they tend to be self-absorbed. Not him at all, he worked harder than everyone else. In R1, he was already a pro. "His life revolves around this goal." To the point of paying for his own personal training sessions with a physical trainer in addition to the three weekly training sessions. Unsurprisingly, after a year, Maréchal moved up a level, to Pays de Cassel in N3, where the determination is the same. "He was a key player for us," testifies Samuel Goethals, the Cassel coach. "He has this goal of becoming a professional and has done everything to achieve it. It's impressive because in N3 you come across many players with that same attitude, but how many are truly ready to make the sacrifices? He's like that, rigorous, very disciplined, and has an impeccable lifestyle. His life revolves around this goal." As discreet as he is determined, the midfielder spent two seasons at Cassel before joining VA last summer, initially for the reserve team. “He’s a great player, that’s why we went after him,” said Pierre Blois, the VAFC coach in the R1 league, who hasn’t seen much of him lately. His career path and regional roots also make Thibault Marechal a breath of fresh air for a club that has often recruited far from home in recent seasons. “He’s a discreet guy, capable of putting the team first, but he’s also a true competitor,” added Samuel Goethals. Like him, Benoît Cordiez isn’t surprised by the trajectory his former player has taken. Perhaps a little more surprised by the speed with which he’s reached the National league. “Physically, he probably still needs to bulk up a bit because the physical demands are very high up there, but I’m convinced that if we give him time, he can still take his game to the next level.” » Rouen (1st) – Valenciennes (14th), Friday 7:30 pm, live on BFM Lille

Hello friends, I hope you're all doing well? Today is match day for Valenciennes, who are traveling to face the league leaders, FC Rouen. Needless to say, it won't be easy, and I'd be delighted to come away with a point tonight. After last Friday's home defeat for the 25th anniversary of the TOYOTA factory, despite a match where VA had many opportunities without scoring, we will need to be effective in front of goal tonight because I don't think we will have many chances to score... Of course, winning tonight would be a great achievement, but it won't be easy against a team that is desperate to get back into Ligue 2. Kick-off is at 7:30 p.m. French time, and you can find the link to the match below: Have a great day, everyone, and ALLEZ VA!

Hello friends ! please read the press revieuw today: National League: "Nothing will be spared us," defeats, points deducted, a bad week in Valenciennes Beaten after largely dominating Orléans on Saturday, Valenciennes concluded a complicated week in many respects, marked by the loss of a point in the standings due to a forfeit. Stéphane Moulin struggled to find the right words, Rémy Boissier resigned himself to "spending another two days brooding," while Jean Louchet sighed with helplessness. "We could replay this match ten times, we wouldn't lose it," raged the northern goalkeeper. Against Orléans, the Valenciennes players were hit hard by the cruelty that football can sometimes be capable of: despite a flurry of chances and the legitimate feeling of having done everything right, except for being clinical, they must now cope with the immense frustration of a defeat. This could have been just another frustrating match if this defeat hadn't capped off an already unpleasant week, a far cry from the festive atmosphere surrounding the game celebrating the 25th anniversary of the first Yaris to roll off the Toyota assembly line in Onnaing. Seven dark days began in Le Puy a week earlier, where Valenciennes suffered a heavy 3-0 defeat after conceding an improbable goal just before halftime. And then, as is often the case with Valenciennes, off-field issues intruded: seven weeks after the incidents during the match against Sochaux, the club paid a heavy price for the outburst of anger from some of its supporters who had gathered around the pitch, preventing the game from being completed. After a very long wait, living with a sword of Damocles hanging over their heads, Valenciennes (VA) lost the match (3-0) and had a point deducted from their league position. While the club is considering appealing this decision, at the risk of a harsher penalty, putting this episode behind them and accepting the new standings to look ahead is undoubtedly the least bad option. "We're going to have no luck this year, I've understood that for a while now. I've never experienced anything like this, we never get that little bit of luck that comes our way." Stéphane Moulin, VAFC coach Terrible weather "We're having a week where we're down to minus one," laments Stéphane Moulin. "We're going to have no luck this year, I've understood that for a while now. I've never experienced anything like this, we never get that little bit of luck that comes our way." The Valenciennes coach doesn't know the half of it: one day at a time, but a week has seven, and the second blow came on Friday with the release of a video by YouTuber Romain Molina, who launched a scathing attack on the club's management. More than the content itself, it mainly confirmed a well-known situation: there's a lot of backstabbing going on internally, and the atmosphere, certainly not helped by the team's results, is particularly toxic between the various factions within the club. All of this is quite far removed from the pitch and all the positive aspects, notably Bryan Passi's contribution in the air, which could have been highlighted in the match against Orléans, a match that capped off a very unpleasant week. But when the tide isn't turning... "I just want to be in Rouen to play another match," Jean Louchet said before leaving Hainaut. That's probably the best thing to do.

Well... It's been a difficult week right to the end... I couldn't go to the stadium and didn't see the match, but unfortunately we lost again tonight... Valenciennes 0-1 Orleans...

I'm going to be honest and sincere with you, my friends. I would be lying if I told you that I had a great week. Between the heavy defeat at Le Puy, the penalty following the invasion of the pitch by around thirty supporters (match lost 3-0 on a technicality, loss of a point in the standings and suspended closure of the supporters' stand)... As for the revelations made by freelance journalist Romain Molina, who is not always right and does not live in France (he lives in Portugal), most of the facts he reports are elements that have been provided to him and recounted by others... He is probably right about some things and wrong about others... Nevertheless, I don't think it's useful for me to tell you things about our common owner, Sport Républic. Everyone is free to have their own opinion on the matter. Let's be strong, all together. That's all I have to say today!

National: “Being someone’s son is mostly about how others see you,” says Bryan Passi of Valenciennes. The new Valenciennes center-back comes from a long line of footballers. Not always an advantage in this highly competitive and closely watched environment. Before facing Orléans, he discusses this unique connection, which hasn’t prevented him from having a successful career. Bryan Passi is not like other players. We don’t talk about his shorter-than-expected stint in Israel, a season with Hapoel Tel Aviv two years ago, during which he had to contend with air raid alerts and rocket attacks on the Jewish state during the war. Nor do we talk about the very violent collision he suffered last year in Portugal with Mafra, when he “broke his face,” the expression used to describe the multiple facial fractures he sustained after an aerial duel. We simply talk about his surname. The son of Franck Passi, who managed LOSC Lille in 2017 and was a successful player at Toulouse, Marseille, and Monaco in the 1990s, and the nephew of Gérald, who played for Montpellier, Toulouse, and Monaco and earned eleven caps for France, the new Valenciennes center-back has a surname that carries significant weight in the football world. "A lot of people don't like it. When you're someone's son, you're always being scrutinized and analyzed from every angle." Bryan Passi He wasn't necessarily aware of this right away, while living in Spain and England during the end of his father's playing career and his early days as a manager. It was undoubtedly more apparent when the family returned to France, and even more so when football became a serious pursuit for the Valenciennes native at the Montpellier youth academy, where his father also honed his skills in the 1980s. In football, as elsewhere, being the son is a double-edged sword. “A lot of people don’t like it. When you’re someone’s son, you’re always being scrutinized and analyzed from every angle. We don’t see our father the way others see him, and you have to live your life ignoring that,” advises the center-back. “Because the problem stems mainly from how others see you.” Briefly coached by his father at Niort Bryan Passi forged his own path to make a name for himself with a long stint at Niort (2019-2023) and nearly a hundred Ligue 2 appearances. He also had a strange experience there when his father took over as manager of the Chamois Niortais in 2020. “It didn’t last long: when he arrived, I got injured, and then there was the lockdown. I only had him for a week of training and for one match.” Repeating that experience isn’t necessarily part of the plan. “It’s still a bit strange,” he admits. “A locker room is complicated, and the father-son bond is very strong. You can easily think, ‘He’s the coach’s son, he’ll have advantages.’” In Valenciennes, Bryan Passi played his first match in front of his father, against Bourg-en-Bresse, but he’s a player like any other. He’s expected to bring his experience and physical presence. VAFC – Orléans, Saturday at 5:30 p.m. at the Stade du Hainaut. Unavailable: Thomas, A. Diomande, Appuah (injured)

Dear friends, Beyond the club's recent ups and downs, it's match day for Valenciennes. In a stadium that will welcome its largest crowd of the season, around 20,000 people, for a stadium with a capacity of 25,172, as part of the 25th anniversary of the TOYOTA factory, a long-standing partner of the club, we are hosting US Orléans. The objective in front of such a large crowd is to play a consistent game and learn from last week's heavy defeat. A narrow 1-0 victory would be my prediction for today. No one is fooled, however, as the season is long and more complicated than expected. We will have to hang on until the last day of the championship. Kick-off is at 5:30 p.m. French time. The link to the match is below:

I am not paid by anyone, just so you know. 🙃