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"A real man's game!" They drove them crazy, Valenciennes perfect at spoiling the party. Shaken, reduced to ten men, and trailing in the first half, VA quickly equalized against a Sochaux side also down to ten men to take a point (1-1). And play a nasty trick on all their former players who thought they were taking a giant step towards Ligue 2. The Sochaux players collapsed to the ground at the final whistle, under a barrage of rather harsh boos. The Valenciennes players, too, lay down on the Bonal pitch, exhausted from the long battle fought in the Doubs region. After all, perhaps the jeers of the 20,000 Sochaux fans were partly intended for them as well. What nerve, though, to come and spoil the party that everyone saw coming. Sochaux couldn't secure promotion with a win, but they would have taken a giant step towards Ligue 2. Except it's never a good idea to get ahead of yourself. Even if it's a local tradition, apparently, the fireworks for the players' entrance were perhaps a bit much. Valenciennes, however, was largely blindsided by the joy of their former players. A packed, noisy, singing stadium, buzzing with excitement at returning to Ligue 2, is where Vincent Hognon, their former coach, shines this year, alongside Aymen Boutoutaou, dazzling in the first half, Julien Masson, suspended against Valenciennes, and Samy Baghdadi. Even if they only have themselves to blame for not being invited to join them on the promotion run, Valenciennes already had their fill last year of watching others celebrate their success. Boulogne and then Nancy, both future promoted sides, had come to celebrate at the Hainaut stadium at the end of the season. So, not seeing others celebrating a goal that Valenciennes couldn't achieve was a small consolation. And well deserved in this instance. Grumpy Hognon, frustrated Mauricio Because they had to dig deep during a first half that started poorly on all fronts: Alexi Koum was rightly sent off after just over fifteen minutes (17th minute), and Sochaux opened the scoring with a ruthless strike (30th minute). It was hard to imagine a more difficult situation. Then the halftime break proved to be the turning point: a more determined performance, quickly rewarded with a clear penalty, awarded to Bayanginisa for a red card (50th minute), which Stredair Appuah converted. That's how you change the momentum of a match. "The lads played like men, we played thirty minutes longer than them with one less player, I'm really proud of them," praised Pierre Blois. Valenciennes' comeback surprised, and irritated, everyone in the Sochaux camp. "They were really motivated, they were wasting time," grimaced Vincent Hognon. You should have seen his assistant, former Valenciennes player Tony Mauricio, practically throwing a tantrum in the press box, frustrated by his team's inability to regain their attacking edge. But Valenciennes isn't on holiday yet and also thrives on pride against the top teams. "It was a good test for next season," emphasized Pierre Blois, "but I'm not worried about them, they'll get promoted." Not right away, anyway. SOCHAUX – VALENCIENNES: 1-1 (1-0) 19,150 spectators Goals: Djoco (30th minute) for Sochaux, Appuah (53rd minute, penalty) Yellow cards: Bayanginisa (47th and 51st minutes), Vitelli (57th minute) for Sochaux; Appuah (53rd minute), Wahib (66th minute), El Hadary (74th minute) for Valenciennes Sending off: Koum (17th minute) for Valenciennes; Bayanginisa (50th minute) for Sochaux SOCHAUX: Pierre; N’Gata, Vitelli (captain) (Tavares 74th minute), Peybernes, Gomis; Mexique, Bayanginisa; Boutoutaou (Fofana 65th minute), Baghdadi (Youssouf 65th minute), Gomel; Djoco (Sidibe 81st minute). Foreign referee: Pierre Blois VAFC: Louchet; Abu, Coeff, Landre, Koum; Rouai, Belloumou (cap) (Daubin (45th), K.Diomande (Wahib 24th), Courtet, Appuah (El Hadary 56th); Kouakou (Nyemb 70th). Etr: Pierre Blois

Hello friend. Firstly, congratulations for your Victory today ! Secondly, end of the match for Valenciennes. Draw score: 1-1. Good point versus 2nd of the championship. Good evening everyone.

National: "My most complicated season," Gaëtan Courtet candidly recounts his time with Valenciennes The 37-year-old Valenciennes striker, the team's top scorer with six goals, looks back on a season that is drawing to a close, far from the initial ambitions. He doesn't shy away from the painful episodes, both collectively and personally. You suffered from a virus at the start of the season, had to wait until the end of September for your first goal, and received a red card in October against Concarneau. There was also the incident in the match against Saint-Brieuc, where you left the pitch visibly annoyed, booed... When you look back, it was a tough season indeed... "It wasn't easy at all. On top of that, there were family problems, unforeseen events (Editor's note: his mother passed away during the winter break). Naturally, it was a season that took its toll on my energy." I came here to have a leadership role, I tried to bring as much experience as possible from my previous roles, hoping things would work as a team, but it didn't. It was a long process. As you said, a lot of things happened. It wasn't easy. You have a lot of experience in Ligue 1 and Ligue 2. Is this the most difficult season of your career? "Yes, definitely. You can never predict what will happen, but that wasn't the objective. There were a lot of things to manage, both with the team, the club, and personally. Yes, it was the most difficult. But I've grown from it." Did you quickly realize it would be more difficult than expected despite the club's promotion ambitions? “It all depends on what we call ‘quick’… Compared to what we could offer, I told myself we were going to have to work hard and that it might be more of a learning season than a promotion-focused one. When we saw the pace at the top and what we were producing… And the fact that we never managed two wins in a row, we knew it was going to be tough.” “If they expected me to dribble past the whole team to score all by myself… I’ve never been like that.” Gaëtan Courtet. You’re not the first in this situation, but after playing in Ligue 1 and Ligue 2, it’s anything but easy to arrive in the National league… “Absolutely. And it depends on the players’ profiles. If they expected me to dribble past the whole team to score all by myself… I’ve never been like that.” If there were those expectations of me, no, I need the ball to score. Actually, you have to quickly get a feel for this league because, despite everything, there's sometimes a lot of space and sometimes, also, man-marking. I felt that quite a bit: I watched videos of teams where they had marking lapses, and then, all match long, I had a guy on my tail… When you arrived, the club was delighted with your signing while specifying that you shouldn't be the only attacking threat. In the end, you're the team's top scorer with six goals. Isn't that the problem? “I don't know. It's complicated to say. I hate it when people single me out. But, yes, I've always needed passers and guys who make a difference. We did, but in the final third, we lacked precision.” But it's a winning team, never just one player. "When I look back, I'm quite critical of myself. I haven't always been good. I've missed chances, but I haven't had hundreds of them either." Gaëtan Courtet Given your resume, the expectations surrounding you were high, but weren't they too high? "I can't be what people think I am. I came here with what I know how to do. I know how to do a lot of things, but there are also things I don't know how to do. I'm not a very fast striker, for example, so yes, I'm going to need guys who can make a difference. Many have done that, but in the end, we haven't scored enough goals." How do you rate your current record of six goals and two assists? Decent? "No, not decent at all. Like this season, it's never enough, anyway." And when I look back, I'm quite critical of myself. I haven't always been good. I've missed chances, but I haven't had hundreds of them either. "I've never in my life cheated with a shirt, and I never will. Even less so, as some have said, trampling on a shirt, tearing off a shirt. I was just, yes, frustrated, wanting to change and go home because it was a heavy burden to bear that night." Gaëtan Courtet on his substitution to boos in February against Saint-Brieuc. “I signed for two years with a specific goal.” Your season was also marked by the loss of the captain’s armband. Was that at your request? “I’m not going to dwell on it: they decided to take the armband away from me; it wasn’t my decision.” We agree that this was a consequence of the match against Saint-Brieuc, during which you left the field, annoyed by the booing, and took off your jersey before being sanctioned by the club? “Yes. That’s my opinion, and I said it: I didn’t deserve it. I was clear about that: I have never in my life cheated with a jersey, and it never will. Even less so, as some have said, by trampling on a jersey or tearing one off.” Yes, I was just frustrated and wanted to change my clothes and go home because it was a heavy burden to bear that night. I had never been booed in my career. Never, ever. So, that moment was tough. It won't stop me from standing firm, from always giving 100% on the pitch. No matter what anyone might criticize me for, this is something they can't take away from me: when I'm at a club, I give everything I have. "The Sochaux match, anyone who isn't motivated for a match like that, I don't understand why they play football." Gaëtan Courtet You had really never been booed in your entire career? "Honestly, no. At least not like that. Yes, I've been booed because I missed a penalty, but like that, at home, at the club where I play, never." It was hard to deal with, and everything that followed. I've processed it, now I know how to put things into perspective. You signed for two years, are you ready to sign on again next season? "I signed for two years with a specific goal in mind. Again, I'm always ready to give my all. I'm going to prepare myself for that. I don't know what the club or the coach plans to do, but I'm here." In the meantime, there's a season to finish, including a match in Sochaux on Saturday. You've secured your place in the league, you're not playing for anything anymore, is it easy to stay motivated under these circumstances? "(He interrupts) You're not talking about the right person because for me, even for a friendly match... On Wednesday, we played a practice match against the reserve team, I played as if there was something to win. As for the Sochaux match, anyone who isn't motivated for a match like that, I don't understand why they even play football." » Sochaux (2nd) – Valenciennes (11th): Saturday, 5 p.m.

Match times, TV broadcasts, how it works, VAR: why the future Ligue 3 will change life for Valenciennes VAFC, long certain of not being promoted and recently confirmed to be staying up, will be the first to play in the new Ligue 3 next season. And there will be quite a few changes on the agenda. The new Ligue 3, which will replace the National league starting next season, includes several innovations that will change the lives of clubs and fans. Free broadcasting is over, make way for Ligue 1+ This is perhaps the only advantage of playing in the National league: the championship is broadcast for free, by FFF TV and on BFM Lille for Valenciennes' matches. Watching football without a subscription won't last much longer. In its desire to professionalize the third tier of French football, the federation will invest nearly 11 million euros and intends to boost the visibility of the soon-to-be-former National league. The French Football Federation (FFF) will therefore relinquish the broadcasting rights for the competition, and Ligue 1+, the League's platform created this season for broadcasting Ligue 1, is expected to secure the contract and assume the production costs. The television production, currently very inconsistent from one stadium to another, should therefore improve significantly. However, a Ligue 1+ subscription will now be required to follow Valenciennes FC's third season at this level. Matches on Thursday evenings and Saturday afternoons This is a direct consequence of the upcoming broadcast of Ligue 3 on Ligue 1+: the match times and days will very likely be changed. Even though Valenciennes travels to Sochaux this Saturday (5 p.m.), National league matches are traditionally played on Fridays at 7:30 p.m., but the future broadcaster will opt for times that don't clash with Ligue 1 games. The most likely scenario is therefore a Thursday evening match, the featured game of the day, and the remaining matches on Saturday afternoons at 3 p.m. Television exposure will benefit, but not necessarily the fans who attend matches and will want to travel to away games. Especially for the Thursday match. "To be promoted to Ligue 2, teams will need to finish in the top two. The teams ranked 3rd through 6th will compete in playoffs, with the winner then playing a two-legged relegation/promotion playoff against the 16th-placed team in Ligue 2." Finally, an 18-team league: promotion rules and how it works Since its relegation to the National league in 2024, Valenciennes FC (VAFC) has always had to make do with a 17-team league instead of 18 due to the financial woes of Bordeaux in the first year, and then AC Ajaccio this season. That's over: no longer professional, Ligue 3 can no longer afford to have one less team. To compensate for the two promotions to Ligue 2 (Dijon and Sochaux are well on their way), there will be two relegated teams from Ligue 2 – Amiens and Bastia are the favorites – and perhaps a third in the playoffs (Laval?). Three promoted teams from National 2 will also compensate for the two relegations this season, Saint-Brieuc and Châteauroux at this stage. Thionville has already secured its place, but nothing is decided in Group B (La Roche-sur-Yon or Bordeaux) and Group C (Nîmes, Cannes, or Saint-Maur). To be promoted to Ligue 2, teams must finish in the top two. The teams finishing 3rd through 6th will compete in playoffs, with the winner then playing a two-legged relegation/promotion playoff against the 16th-placed team in Ligue 2. Not easy. VAR, Ligue 3 Style While still awaited in Ligue 2, VAR, and this is the main innovation, will make its debut in Ligue 3. It won't be the same as in Ligue 1, as it will depend on the production resources available, but the French Football Federation (FFF) intends to test some aspects of refereeing at the third level as early as next season. Details have not yet been revealed and are still under consideration. They will be important, since for now, the federation is referring to it as "a kind of VAR." To be continued.

Valenciennes FC: Thirteen Players Still Under Contract Next Season, a Solid Foundation The temptation is strong for Valenciennes FC to continue with Pierre Blois and Rudy Mater on the bench next season, but there's no guarantee their wishes will come true. The club, which will have thirteen players still under contract, has much more certainty about the shape of its future squad. A review, position by position. The Goalkeepers Buoyed by very solid performances in Ligue 2 and the Coupe de France, Jean Louchet extended his contract until June 2027 just before suffering a serious knee injury and missing almost all of last season. In goal, there hasn't been a single opportunity so far for his backup, Justin Lacombe, who, in principle, will also be involved in the next season. The Defenders Bryan Passi will not be seen again, having been injured on April 10 against Versailles, and whose contract expires in June. Romain Thomas and Ahmed Diomandé are in the same contractual situation, as is Alexandre Coeff, but he has racked up appearances (25) and starts (21). Alexi Koum is on loan from Olympique de Marseille. Loïck Landre, who arrived last summer, signed a two-year contract, as did Abdelwahed Wahib, who hasn't started a single match in 2026. Derrick Abu is one of the underutilized players that Pierre Blois intended to revitalize for next season. The 22-year-old Englishman impressed on Friday against Dijon. Erin Airhiavbere will also get his chance before the end of the season. Sakhalou Niakaté, at just 20 years old, has clearly established himself over the past three months; the club might be tempted to extend his contract. Valenciennes academy graduate Nolann Bourichon (18 years old) made his National league debut on Friday. Midfielders In this area of the pitch, Valenciennes will still be able to count on Mabrouk Rouaï, Samir Belloumou, and Kader Diomandé. Quentin Daubin and Rémy Boissier are out of contract. Thibault Maréchal is also out, and this will be the focus of the discussions the club will undoubtedly have with him to sign a professional contract. Simply put, the former Pays de Cassel player has been one of Valenciennes' best since December. Very close to being included in the 16-man squad on Friday, 17-year-old Kaïs Lesueur represents the future; this is certainly less true for Jules Collet and Joël Ngoya. Forwards On loan, Ylan El Hadary and Stredair Appuah will return to their parent clubs, Paris FC for the former and Palermo for the latter. Rento Takaoka, currently injured at Southampton, has already left the club. In attack, Valenciennes will have Alain Ipiélé, Charles Abi, Gaëtan Courtet, and Kylian Kouakou among their options. Samy Baghdadi, who left on loan with an option to buy at Sochaux in early January, where he has impressed but not been clinical, could stay. Youngsters Célestin Nyemb and Ben Osman certainly have a chance to secure a place in the team, but they need to show much more than what they displayed on Friday against Dijon.

Hello everyone, I hope you’re all doing well today? It’s match day for Southampton and match day for Valenciennes too! Good luck to both our teams, and let’s hope for two good results today. News from Valenciennes: Following the home defeat against league leaders Dijon FCO (0-1), it’s been a typical week under sunny skies. Today they travel to face the league’s second-placed side, FC Sochaux Montbéliard. It’s set to be a tough match, especially as it’s a sell-out crowd. Some former Valenciennes players are playing for Sochaux today: last year’s manager, Vincent Hognon, Aymen Boutoutaou, and Julien Masson – though Masson won’t be playing as he’s suspended. A draw would be a good result in my opinion; if we manage to win the match, that would obviously be even better. The club is still preparing for next season; some of the youngsters will get another chance today, and in the next two matches to come. Today’s match kicks off at 5.00 pm French time, and here is the link to the match: Have a lovely day, everyone! Come On Red And White !

If we can’t win the match, we must at least make sure we don’t lose it... A special mention must go to tonight’s referee, who was particularly poor, failing to award at least two penalties and a red card that number 24 should logically have received. The battle isn’t over yet, lads. We mustn’t give up! Come On !

5vs4 great action et fabulous finish !

Larin 🔥🔥🔥🔥

It’s a fairly even match, with our players holding a slight advantage. Our opponents tonight are playing it safe and have set their sights on just one player: Leo Scienza! I think it’s going to be a tight game right to the end, and if there’s a winner, it’ll be by the narrowest of margins... Southampton should have been awarded at least two penalties... The referee isn’t on his game... Come on, reds!

Hello everyone. It’s a big match tonight. A chance to make a big splash if we win! Enjoy the match, everyone! COYR ! 🔥🔥❤️🤍

Come On Saints ! ❤️🤍🔥🔥

National League: Valenciennes once again watches the train of efficiency slip away and remains on the platform Not outclassed against Dijon, who arrived at the Hainaut stadium as National League leaders, Valenciennes nevertheless lost this Friday evening (0-1). As against Fleury, they paid dearly for their lack of clinical finishing in both penalty areas and gained an even better understanding of what distinguishes a mid-table team from the very best. Dijon could have, with a perfect alignment of circumstances, secured their promotion to Ligue 2 this Friday evening in Valenciennes. To do so, they absolutely needed to win, which they did with the authority of the (future) champions, and hope that no one behind them won. With Rouen having beaten Aubagne (3-1) and Fleury Châteauroux (0-2), Ridira's men will have to wait another week. With an eight-point lead over third place and three matchdays remaining, things are still looking pretty good. Seven days after their defeat at Fleury, Valenciennes were once again reminded of the gap between them and the top teams this season. "The best teams are clinical, and we take our time to score; we need several chances," lamented a frustrated Mabrouk Rouaï. Valenciennes' attractive first half-hour was a striking demonstration of this, particularly with two attempts by Charles Abi: first, he cut in at the near post but sent the ball over the bar (15th minute), then he was just short of connecting with a cross from Alexi Koum (19th minute). "We didn't put enough away in the second half." "Our first half was good; it would have been very good if we had managed to convert our chances, but we didn't. The difference (between them and us) is that they are efficient in both penalty areas, and when they create chances, they put the ball in," observed Pierre Blois. Dijon took the lead with a header from Julien Domingues (0-1, 63rd minute), three minutes after Julio Tavares had narrowly missed the target. Valenciennes were unable to inject any real pace into the game after that. Pierre Blois, who had brought back Derrick Abu, not seen on a National pitch for five months, also gave playing time to the (young) guard towards the end – Célestin Nyemb, Ben Osman, and Nolann Bourichon – to see what these youngsters were capable of and in the hope that, with the exuberance of youth… Unfortunately, they weren't given enough of a chance. "When you have the opportunity to show what you can do and play your first minutes as a professional, you have to give more," the coach stated firmly. "And I think we didn't give enough in the second half." VALENCIENNES – DIJON: 0-1 (0-0) Stade du Hainaut 6,472 spectators. Referee: Mr. Ustaritz. Goal: Domingues (64th minute) for Dijon. Yellow card for Dijon's Barreto (75th minute). Valenciennes: Louchet; Abu (Ipiélé, 74th minute), Niakaté, Coeff, Koum (Bourichon, 82nd minute); Rouaï, Belloumou (captain, Osman, 82nd minute), Maréchal (Boissier, 66th minute); K. Diomandé (Nyemb, 74th minute), Abi, Appuah. Coach: Pierre Blois. Dijon: Montfort; Lacroix (Obongo, 84th minute), Diouf, Bernard, Diallo; Chouchane (Aka, 90th minute), Marie (captain), Vargas Rios (Nsimba, 64th minute); Barreto (Barka, 84th minute); Domingues (Ntamack, 64th), Tavares. Coach: Baptiste Ridira.

Hello everyone, I hope you’re all doing well on match day. I’d like to wish the supporters travelling to Wembley Stadium a safe journey and everyone a great match! A look back at yesterday’s match between Valenciennes and Dijon. With a different line-up from recent matches due to absences (Loick Landre and Gaetan Courtet suspended, and Ylan El Hadary and Bryan Passi injured), it was a tough challenge against the league leaders. I thought we performed reasonably well in this match; Valenciennes didn’t sit back and tried to create chances, but it wasn’t enough as we lacked efficiency in front of goal. Our opponents didn’t impress me and they didn’t have many chances, but just one was enough to win the match. I think that’s probably part of what makes the top teams in the league so successful. Just a few more matches to go before the end of the season, and I hope next season will be much better than this one. Enjoy the match, everyone! Oh Went The Saints Go Marching In !

I’m expecting several departures (again) this summer; we’ll need to rebuild part of the squad, and the aim will be to get it right and find the right players. With the arrival of Jean-Christophe CEST, backed by Johannes Spors, I hope the choices will be the right ones for next year, even though there are plenty of uncertainties, especially in football... The end of the season is approaching, and this is an opportunity for some players to prove themselves to other clubs for next season. As for Derrick, it seems to me that it was mainly because there were several players in his position (Alexis KOUM and Erin AIRHIAVBERE) and that the competition was tougher for him. The start of a project to build a team capable of promotion to Ligue 2 next season.