Oh! Oh! Oh! Godin got to Go!
https://le11hdf.fr/assumant-totalement-laction-contre-sochaux-les-groupes-de-supporters-du-vafc-jugent-la-saison-terminee/
Taking full responsibility for the action against Sochaux, the VAFC supporters' groups consider "the season over".
Romain PechonDecember 24, 2025
Daniel Derajinski/Icon Sport
Just over ten days after the premature abandonment of the Valenciennes-Sochaux match , following incidents in the stands, a supporter of the northern club has decided to break his silence. In an interview he granted to our website, he discusses the events and, above all, their short- and medium-term consequences. Interview.
What happened at the end of the match against Sochaux? What was the objective of this action?
It's important to understand that this was an unplanned action, a spontaneous one. For this match, we had planned to display unconventional messages, but more direct than usual. These banners used a slogan from the club's communications department, "VA never gives up," to which we added more or less explicit endings. The idea behind this particular action was to create a shock, a real awakening. We had already tried everything in recent months, and even years, without any real results.
Do you understand the reactions this has provoked, and in particular the very diverse reactions among the supporters?
Obviously. First, because the match was definitively abandoned, and second, because the stampede caused by this movement wasn't intentional. The majority of supporters share our frustration. Today, we fully stand by our actions, even if we regret how they ended. We understand that this level of protest might be surprising, especially given our past patience. But it's the result of a volatile mix.
That's to say ?
The first ingredient is a lack of humility in the club's communication, which is not commensurate with the team's level and the league we're playing in. This generated a lot of hope at the start of the season, and the frustration is now much greater than in the past.
The second ingredient is the lack of desire and talent shown by the players. What's even more frustrating for us is that the recruitment seemed promising on paper: so this is a second major disappointment.
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
