Valenciennes

[Badger]

14 minutes ago, ChristopheVAFC said:

It's true that he's often a few floors behind me haha

That’s certainly better than you sitting a few rows  behind him with that monster of a flag 

[Badger]

27 minutes ago, S-Clarke said:

I think that's a 'little' harsh, they've taken over clubs on a downturn from the outset and were on the back foot from day 1 at Gotzepe and Valenciennes - so their relegations were somewhat expected, that's probably part of the reason why they acquired them - a troubled club, not as expensive as an established top flight club, but with potential to reshape them over time.

We were slightly different though, a middling PL club flirting with the trap door, they thought throwing millions at young kids would move us back up the table - but it killed us dead, they misread the situation with us wildly.

Wonder if Vitesse Arnhem are on their shopping list, they’ve suffered quite a spectacular fall this season. Presumably Abramovic’s mate is no longer involved. 

[sfc4prem]

15 minutes ago, Badger said:

Wonder if Vitesse Arnhem are on their shopping list, they’ve suffered quite a spectacular fall this season. Presumably Abramovic’s mate is no longer involved. 

Sports Republic surely aren't flush with enough capital to warrant four clubs?

Unless they're going down the 'self-sustainable success' nonsense; a pile of bollocks at the top levels.

[Dark Munster]

15 hours ago, ChristopheVAFC said:

A large majority of Sport Républic's management team were present yesterday (including Rasmus and Henrik).

 

Sorry to hear that.

Best of luck next season.

[ChristopheVAFC]

Hello everyone.

Last game of the season for Valenciennes FC tonight as they travel to Normandy to take on Stade Malherbe de Caen.

The aim of the match is to finish as worthy as possible against a team that could be in with a chance of playing in the play-offs.

The match is expected to be a sell-out, with between 20 and 50 supporters expected to make the trip. (4-hour drive / 234 miles).

I'd also like to say a special word of thanks to your club, who are playing in the play-offs tonight.

Enjoy the game, folks! 

[ChristopheVAFC]

Hello everyone.

First of all, my sincerest congratulations on your victory yesterday at Saint Mary's! Very happy for you!

For our part, we had a complicated trip to Normandy, where Valenciennes were playing a team that could play in the play-off for promotion to Ligue 1.

The 3-0 defeat put the seal on a season that was complicated from start to finish.

It's time to get down to business this summer, when we'll probably be doing some major housework...

As for the Valenciennes supporters, around thirty brave souls made the trip.

Allez VA!

 

 

 

[david in sweden]

On 11/05/2024 at 10:43, S-Clarke said:

I think that's a 'little' harsh, they've taken over clubs on a downturn from the outset and were on the back foot from day 1 at Gotzepe and Valenciennes - so their relegations were somewhat expected, that's probably

...part of the reason why they acquired them - a troubled club, not as expensive as an established top flight club, but with potential to reshape them over time.

 

.......and most likely not terribly debt-ridden, and not requiring a big investment at this time.

[disconnect]

No disrespect to Valenciennes, especially off the back of a very difficult season, but is it common that only 30 fans would make a 4 hour drive to a match? I think Eastleigh take more to away games up north! Just curious really if the away following is quite low in France.

[Saint86]

On 20/05/2024 at 14:50, disconnect said:

No disrespect to Valenciennes, especially off the back of a very difficult season, but is it common that only 30 fans would make a 4 hour drive to a match? I think Eastleigh take more to away games up north! Just curious really if the away following is quite low in France.

I think I am right in saying that they've just been relegated to the equivalence of the conference / national league in this country. I could imagine the fanbase is pretty demoralised!

[disconnect]

2 hours ago, Saint86 said:

I think I am right in saying that they've just been relegated to the equivalence of the conference / national league in this country. I could imagine the fanbase is pretty demoralised!

It's still the third tier, and features some decent historical sides like Nancy, Sochaux, Le Mans etc. It seems like professional football just isnt as big in France I guess. Just was curious really!

[ChristopheVAFC]

3 hours ago, Saint86 said:

I think I am right in saying that they've just been relegated to the equivalence of the conference / national league in this country. I could imagine the fanbase is pretty demoralised!

Apart from Rouen (where there were 700 of us) and Lyon (where there were 1,100 of us), this very difficult season hasn't motivated many people to travel, unlike in other countries where it's more part of the footballing mentality.

When the sporting results are there, it's easier, but as soon as the results aren't there, the fans prefer to stay at home...

[ChristopheVAFC]

1 hour ago, disconnect said:

It's still the third tier, and features some decent historical sides like Nancy, Sochaux, Le Mans etc. It seems like professional football just isnt as big in France I guess. Just was curious really!

Here in Valenciennes, we don't need much for our stadium to fill up and for buses to be chartered for travel.

Only the sporting results will be decisive.

The whole of SR's governance is promising a rapid return to Ligue 2, so all we can do is hope it works.

[SuperSAINT]

10 minutes ago, ChristopheVAFC said:

Here in Valenciennes, we don't need much for our stadium to fill up and for buses to be chartered for travel.

Only the sporting results will be decisive.

The whole of SR's governance is promising a rapid return to Ligue 2, so all we can do is hope it works.

Is the manager staying, Christophe?

[ChristopheVAFC]

6 minutes ago, SuperSAINT said:

Le manager reste, Christophe ?

The trend of what he is currently releasing to the press speaks of a contract extension for next year.

The fans here don't want him to stay and are calling for him to leave the club.

The banner that went up at the last home match: ‘Kantari tu sort’.

The supporters criticised him for not being the right man for the job, and for the need for a change in both players and staff.

The current coach is favoured by the sporting director (Ben Chorley), but nothing has been done yet...

 

[ChristopheVAFC]

Two articles in the press yesterday and today about our sporting director Ben Chorley, who looks back on his career and the complicated season of my team Valenciennes. Enjoy your reading, friends !

https://www.lavoixdunord.fr/1465569/article/2024-05-25/vafc-ancien-d-arsenal-forme-au-business-qui-est-le-directeur-sportif-ben-chorley

VAFC: former Arsenal player, trained in business, who is sporting director Ben Chorley?

Valenciennes' sporting director, in post since July 2023, opened up for the first time since his arrival. In particular, he spoke about his career as a former player in England before joining Sport Republic and Valenciennes.

You've been at VAFC for almost a year now and we've heard very little from you. What did you do before coming here?

‘My whole life has been dedicated to football. From an early age I grew up playing. I come from South London where the biggest teams are Milwall and Charlton. I joined the Arsenal academy in 1998, which was a very good period for the club with the arrival of Arsène Wenger and the French world champions. We had Patrick Vieira, Manu Petit... I've worked with a lot of foreign players in my career, a lot of different coaches, and that's given me a lot. I stopped my career in 2018 and it was natural for me to become a scout, then head of recruitment for two years, then director of football while being involved in the takeover of Swindon Town. So I've already had to deal with the day-to-day problems of running a club. It was an interesting experience when the owners of Sport Republic asked me to join the project here. Because it's something I'd already done in the past. I played for 20 years and was lucky enough to be captain at every club I played for. I don't shirk responsibility, I'm someone who has no problem being up front and taking the initiative.

‘When the idea of buying Valenciennes came up, I came here in February 2023 to get to know the city, the industries and understand what's going on here. I've seen a lot of games here and away.

What was your relationship with Sport Republic before you came here?

‘Rasmus Ankersen (one of Sport Republic's bosses) is someone I admire a lot. And I think all sporting directors or people in similar positions at a football club also admire him for the work he did at Midjtylland, a small Danish club that he took all the way to the Champions League. Then he went to Brentford, a club where I went on loan when I was 18. It was a small club, perhaps the smallest in London. I would never have imagined that it would one day be in the Premier League. Then Rasmus arrived as sporting director with new owners and they went up in four years. I was lucky enough to meet him and talk to him when I was at Swindon and we made two player transfers from Brentford. When I left Swindon I took a break for the first time in 24 years. I went to the United States, I met coaches, I learnt about business, the commercial and financial dimension, how to really build the structure of a club. Because to be a sporting director, you need to know all that, it's not just about football. I was then invited to join Sport Republic, which had just bought Southampton and Goztepe, and it's really a huge project over the next 15-20 years. When the idea of buying Valenciennes came up, I came here in February 2023 to get to know the city, the industries and understand what's going on here. I've seen a lot of matches here and away.

What attracted you to Valenciennes?

‘The club has a fantastic stadium, the environment here is ready to catch fire, there's so much potential. I remember the match against Grenoble when I saw the supporters accompanying the players. I took the tram to get a feel for the city and went to see the U17s and U19s play. There's everything here for the club to succeed and I wanted that to be with us.

[ChristopheVAFC]

https://www.lavoixdunord.fr/1465772/article/2024-05-26/il-n-y-pas-d-excuse-pour-les-resultats-obtenus-ben-chorley-se-confie-sur-la

‘There's no excuse for the results’: Ben Chorley on VAFC's season

As discreet as he is one of the strong points of VAFC's Sport Republic version, English sporting director Ben Chorley, 41, spoke for 45 minutes. Without sparing any necessary self-criticism after the club's descent into the French National League, he outlined his plans for the next season, with a view to a swift return to Ligue 2.

Ben, ten months after your arrival and a very complicated season marked by a descent into the National, are you still as enthusiastic about being here?

‘Of course I am. Even if the results weren't up to scratch. There's no excuse for the results on the pitch. The team, the former coach, the current coach, the staff, nobody performed as well as we'd hoped. Everyone has to take responsibility. But the result of this season, the origin of what happened, goes back further. When you look at what's happening with Southampton (play-off to climb back into the Premier League) and Goztepe (promoted to Turkish D1), Sport Republic's two other clubs, you can see that it took us a year to eighteen months to lay the foundations that we believe will enable us to become a major professional football club. There's a lot to be done to create an environment conducive to winning.

You mention a year to eighteen months to lay the foundations, are we to understand that in this timetable relegation is not necessarily a problem?

‘No, the 18 months was to show how things went at Southampton and Goztepe to lay the foundations. But at Valenciennes, it's a big problem to be relegated, from a financial point of view and for the environment, for the town. Nobody wants to start a business like that.

In an interview on the club's website, you admitted that you had made mistakes.

‘Yes, there have been mistakes. Everyone makes them, with the possible exception of Pep Guardiola. We're new owners who've taken over a club and expectations were high after many complicated years, and we knew it wouldn't be easy. We could have been better at communicating and clearer about what we wanted to do. There were several little mistakes, different things, but believe me, nobody works harder than us to progress.’

‘We had many, many discipline problems that should have been sorted out in the dressing room and managed by the players among themselves.’

You've said that you didn't underestimate the level of League 2, so what mistakes were made in building the team?

‘When we took control of the club, there were only 7-8 players in the first team. Some of them had played very little the previous season, others only ten games or so, so we had to recruit. And when you recruit, you look at where your recruits come from and what the dressing room needs. Here, we needed leaders and players with experience. Taylor Moore has played 300 games for England, David Kruse is an international with Denmark (U21), Bruno Costa played in the Champions League with Porto... We signed a lot of players but since we're talking about mistakes, I prefer to work with a fairly small squad because it's easier to control things. Unfortunately, there were a lot of professional contracts signed by youngsters here before we arrived and we had to make the best of that. We tried to change a lot of things for those who weren't playing much, and in January six more players left. So there have been a lot of changes and when it's like that, there are a lot of relationships to build.’

We've also heard a lot about a lack of discipline in the dressing room. Can you confirm this?

‘Yes.

Can you elaborate?

‘Whatever I'm going to say, I've already said it to the people concerned. But we've had many, many disciplinary problems that should have been sorted out in the dressing room and dealt with by the players themselves. I was a player for 20 years, I've been in different dressing rooms, some very strong, others weak, and if you want to be a respected player and be successful, you have to be together, take responsibility and be accountable to your team-mates. If you're not together in the dressing room on Saturday when you have to defend a corner in the 88th minute, you won't be together either.’

‘In any sport, football, rugby, cricket, even fishing, you can't win if you're not united (...). We didn't have the respect to work together for a number of reasons.

The chemistry in the team never took...

‘In any sport, football, rugby, cricket, even fishing, you can't win if you're not united. You don't have to like each other. I'm sure Mbappé isn't loved by his whole team at PSG, but they don't hesitate to give him the ball when he needs it because he knows how to make a difference. We didn't have the respect to work together for several reasons, whether because of the relationships that already existed here, or because it was normal to be like that at Valenciennes in recent years. I talk about it a lot with everyone to try and understand what is considered normal here, because everyone is important if we are to succeed.

Wasn't part of your job to keep the dressing room running smoothly?

‘Yes, of course. I did my best. But in football, there are contracts and if you have one, you're there. It's not as simple as cleaning a house.

The club's structures have changed a lot. Do you understand that even if it's necessary, it takes second place to results for the fans?

‘Of course. Whatever we do behind the scenes, we have to get results on the pitch. That's all that matters to the fans.’

‘The plan will be to get back up and before you ask another question, I know the level we'll be playing at. This season, I've watched 52 National League games.

What is the plan for next season? Who will be the coach and what will the team look like in the National?

‘You're very direct! The plan will be to climb back up and before you ask another question, I know the level we'll be playing at. I've watched 52 National League games this season. I've seen Niort, Orléans, Nancy, Red Star and Nîmes several times. I've realised that it's a fighting league. We've also studied what kind of teams and what kind of players have been promoted in the past. We're well aware of who we're up against, teams with a low block, and we know it's going to be tough away from home. We'll need players with character and personality. As for the composition of the staff, announcements will be made shortly.

You've signed young Kylian Kouakou to a professional contract, what about Manga Foé Ondoa?

‘We want to sign him and we're working on it. His development has been stratospheric. He's been enormous, he's learned a lot tactically this season, so yes, we want to have him with us for the next few years. He's clearly part of the project. Once we were relegated, over the last five-six games, we played with those we want in the project.’

 

[SuperSAINT]

A good read.  Thanks for sharing.

Hope he (& Sport Republic) gets things right this summer.

[ChristopheVAFC]

7 hours ago, SuperSAINT said:

A good read.  Thanks for sharing.

Hope he (& Sport Republic) gets things right this summer.

We'd love to!

We also hope that better decisions will be made for our team next year.

I'll keep you posted in any case

[ChristopheVAFC]

Very interesting press article from the local media ‘Le 11 Valenciennois’ after season 1 of Sport Républic at your home in Valenciennes.

https://le11hdf.fr/vafc-peut-on-encore-faire-confiance-au-projet-sport-republic/

Quote

VAFC: can we still trust the Sport Republic project?

A few days after the end of VAFC's 2023/2024 season, the time has come to ask ourselves some big questions about the past financial year, which could have repercussions for the one to come. Now it's the turn of Sport Republic, who took over as majority shareholder last summer but suffered relegation in their first season. Debate.

Without saying no... we're entitled to have our doubts...

Sport Republic's first year in charge could hardly have ended worse than relegation to the National League. Although the Danish group took over a club that was already on the brink of collapse, particularly financially, and the deal was done late in the summer, that should not exonerate them from their various mistakes. The first of these was entrusting the club's destiny to Jorge Maciel. On paper, the profile of the Portuguese coach - an assistant for several seasons at LOSC - was attractive. Unfortunately, the graft did not take.

Without prejudging his qualities or future, the timing and context were certainly not right. Above all, Jorge Maciel quickly lost several key members of the dressing room, starting with captain Joffrey Cuffaut. Despite a situation that continued to deteriorate week after week, Sport Republic procrastinated too long before making the final decision in December. The damage had already been done. What's more, Sport Republic literally missed out on its first wave of recruitment, in terms of players.

By banking mainly on foreign players with no Ligue 2 experience whatsoever, VAFC's new owner has only added to the backlog that had already built up when he belatedly concluded the takeover of the club. And it's no coincidence that the season's best signing is Jean Louchet, the only player from the summer intake with any real experience of the league. Finally, Ben Chorley and those close to him have suffered the full brunt of the bloodshed of Taylor Moore, who was supposed to embody the new project and was sacked for an extra-sporting matter in the spring. Once again, Sport Republic missed the point.

As for the future, it remains a little unclear for VAFC. While the appointment of Yoann Godin as managing director and François Launay as director of communications have helped the club to shake off its sense of being an empty shell, the way in which the northern club operates is still a source of concern. The link with Ben Chorley, the architect of the sporting project, still seems rather distant. So much so, in fact, that on certain issues, notably the organisation of the trip to Lyon for the French Cup semi-final, it has been difficult to get everyone on the same wavelength.

With their organisation still looking a little shaky, are VAFC really ready to make their mark in the jungle that is the National Championship? Who will be their new coach? What is his plan of attack for a squad that has to and will be dismantled? Above all, have Valenciennes' new directors really learnt the lessons of the previous off-season? Is their knowledge of the French championship sufficient to find the right profiles for the National? All these questions remain unanswered.

Many of them will have to be answered in the affirmative if the project is not to get bogged down next season. And that's without even mentioning VAFC's real place in the galaxy of Sport Republic clubs, with Southampton set to return to the Premier League. To be continued.

 

Yes, now it's time to put things into practice after learning the ropes

The failure is clear and indisputable: weighed down by questionable personnel choices - both on the pitch and on the bench - VAFC have endured one of the worst seasons in their history in year one of Sport Republic. And while relegation is obviously not a source of confidence, especially as it was not part of the plan, the club's new shareholder in Hainaut seems to have paid to learn.

In the summer of 2024, he now knows that you can't perform in Ligue 2 - and therefore in the National - with a bunch of promising individuals from the four corners of Europe and even further afield. A year ago, the likes of David Kruse, Taylor Moore, Bruno Costa and Makabi Lilepo - who arrived in the autumn - were the centrepieces of the new project. In the summer of 2024, he also knows that the question of the coach is central, that the casting error of Jorge Maciel was fatal for VAFC and that a coach with more experience of French football, the experiences of a number one and the context of VA is essential.

Above all, Sport Republic will finally have time for the summer of 2024. While it cannot blame Eddy Zdziech alone for the length of the 2023 summer negotiations, SR arrived late, caught short and obliged to act quickly, with a detrimental lack of hindsight and anticipation. Even beyond the purely sporting aspect, the group founded by Rasmus Ankersen and Henrik Kraft had to rebuild a club that was structurally and media-wise out of date. The legacy of the Zdziech presidency would have been a burden for anyone, and Sport Republic has borne the brunt of it.

The arrivals of Yoann Godin and François Launay, general manager and director of communications respectively, have, in addition to bringing real expertise in their respective fields, embodied the representation of VAFC by men historically closer to the club than Ben Chorley, for example. The English sporting director remained silent for a long time, lurking in the shadows as if to learn without making any mistakes in his communication. Remaining silent despite VA's downfall was one of them, but his much more frequent and relatively assertive statements in recent weeks testify to a certain confidence in the future project.

And while we must not fall for the hype, it is clear that the management has ideas and a clear plan to turn the club around. At Southampton and Götzepe, the other two clubs in the Sport Republic galaxy, ‘it took us a year to eighteen months to lay the foundations’, Ben Chorley recently told our colleagues in La Voix du Nord. Once again, this sounds like a communications exercise. But the facts prove him right, and almost encourage optimism for VAFC.

Relegated for Sport Republic's first full season in charge, Southampton bounced back immediately to win promotion to the Premier League and leave the Championship (English D2) behind them, a basket of ultra-demanding crabs. The Saints are back in the best league in the world in a much more favourable context than when they left. In their first season under SR, Götzepe finished seventh in the 1. Lig (Turkish D2). Now the Izmir club have been promoted to the top flight. Each time, the Danish team learns during its first season, then recovers and confirms itself during the following one.

At VA, Sport Republic was like an observation course. The report is salty, but the London-based investment fund has observed the mistakes not to be made and will try to pass the exam with flying colours, something it has achieved with brio wherever it operates. It is up to SR to succeed in Hainaut, where it will be closely scrutinised and will not be allowed to make the slightest mistake after laying the first solid foundations from a structural point of view. From now on, it's all about confirmation on the sporting front.

 

[Saint_clark]

My favourite quote from that article; 

Quote

Southampton bounced back immediately to win promotion to the Premier League and leave the Championship (English D2) behind them, a basket of ultra-demanding crabs.

 

[Colinjb]

Would love this under our crest in Latin.

 

Quote

basket of ultra-demanding crabs

Thank you google translate: "canistrum ultra-exactionem cancri"

Edited May 29 by Colinjb

[Saint_clark]

Just now, Colinjb said:

Would love this under our crest in Latin.

 

 

"canistrum ultra-exactionem cancri"

[SuperSAINT]

20 minutes ago, Saint_clark said:

My favourite quote from that article; 

Southampton bounced back immediately to win promotion to the Premier League and leave the Championship (English D2) behind them, a basket of ultra-demanding crabs.

[Disco Stu]

I'm not sure my translate is working properly???

 

[ChristopheVAFC]

Hello everyone.

Some news from my team.

Things are generally quiet, with very little information on player recruitment.

Back to training on Monday 24 June 2024.
First league matchday on Friday 16 August 2024.

Training camp: It's scheduled for 22-28 July, probably in the same place as last summer, in Horst, in the east of the Netherlands, not far from the German border.

A ‘Fan Day’ is planned for early August.

Regarding the potential tournament with you and Goztepe: ‘The three-team tournament with VAFC will not take place in the end, as the schedules of the three clubs are not compatible.

Have a nice day!

[Toadhall Saint]

Thanks Christophe. 

[ChristopheVAFC]

https://www.va-fc.com/articles/22397

 

Quote

VAFC UNVEILS ITS NEW STAFF!
VAFC has announced the confirmation of Ahmed Kantari as head coach of the first team. His leadership qualities, hard work and unwavering dedication convinced the directors that he had the best profile to lead the team towards the goal of promotion back to Ligue 2. The choice of Ahmed Kantari is also one of stability, something the club has not experienced for many years.

Ahmed Kantari will be accompanied by a technical staff that he helped put in place. This new team will be responsible for getting VAFC back on track.

The composition of the 2024/2025 staff

Assistant coach: Stéphane Mangione

A former striker with Nîmes, Dijon, Amiens and Orléans, Stéphane Mangione is no stranger to the French National and Ligue 2, where he cut his teeth as a player and also as assistant coach to Omar Daf at Sochaux (2019-2022) and Dijon (2022-2023).

Assistant coach: Abel Lorincz

Abel Lorincz has joined VAFC as assistant coach at Swedish club Hammarby. The Hungarian will bring all his technical expertise.

Goalkeeping coach : Damien Perquis

Appointed in July 2023, Damien Perquis will continue his mission this season as part of the Valenciennes staff.

Performance Director: Mathew Banks

Mathew Banks arrived at VAFC this winter and will be responsible for the club's performance. The former rugby player, who hails from Wales, spent six years training in the Premier League at Southampton before moving to the north of France.

 

Edited June 7 by ChristopheVAFC

[ChristopheVAFC]

Goodbye Acerbis ! Welcome Hummel !

 

 

https://www.va-fc.com/articles/22440

 

Quote

HUMMEL BECOMES VAFC'S NEW EQUIPMENT SUPPLIER!

An experienced outfitter for VAFC! From 1 July, Hummel will be equipping the Red and Whites. The Danish brand with the chevrons has signed a four-season contract with the Hainaut club. Founded in 1923, Hummel is one of the oldest team sportswear brands in the world, with an incredible footballing heritage (Saint-Etienne, Werder Bremen, Betis Seville, the Danish national team, etc.).

The new equipment supplier will design and manufacture playing and training kits for all the club's teams (men's, women's, academy and association).

Having already fitted out VAFC for the first time during the 96/97 season, Hummel is now back in force to open a new chapter with the northern club, the first page of which will be turned at the beginning of July when the home shirt is unveiled.

Yoann Godin, General Manager of VAFC: ‘VAFC is very proud to welcome Hummel as the club's new partner. We were convinced by the quality of the products and the marketing approach of our new equipment supplier. Hummel fits in perfectly with our desire to renew and develop the VAFC brand throughout our territory.

Maxime LEFEUVRE, Country Manager France Hummel: ‘We are proud to be associated with Valenciennes FC, which has a historic place in French football and passionate supporters! It's a natural partnership based on shared values of solidarity, authenticity and the desire to move forward. The club will benefit from our expertise and unique ranges, faithful to the colours and heritage of the Rouge et Blanc while paying tribute to its supporters. This partnership strengthens our presence in France, our roots in a major footballing region and illustrates the dynamism of the brand".

 

Edited June 11 by ChristopheVAFC

[Nolan]

That proves some independence of the separate clubs or the Sport Republic family

Southampton's Hummel deal is finishing

Valenciennes is just about to start.

[Convict Colony]

On 07/06/2024 at 15:37, ChristopheVAFC said:

https://www.va-fc.com/articles/22397

 

 

I thought this coach was not so good or is he a good coach but the players were not playing well enough for him as they looked to leave ?

I know mentioned the sporting director likes him so i guess its down to the players more than the coach ?

[Nolan]

You look at the last 5 results of the season. He got 12 out of 15 points available.

His staff look to be all new.

[ChristopheVAFC]

1 hour ago, Convict Colony said:

I thought this coach was not so good or is he a good coach but the players were not playing well enough for him as they looked to leave ?

I know mentioned the sporting director likes him so i guess its down to the players more than the coach ?

His retention as coach has left many fans sceptical, and many would have liked to see a change at the head of the first team.

The sporting director has decided to keep him on as coach. Now it's up to him to show that he can turn the tide against him.

What also helps him is that this year he is taking a UEFA-recognised diploma, the Brevet d'entraîneur de football professionnel (BEPF)...

Personally, I'm not convinced, but I hope he can silence the criticism of many Valenciennes fans.

To be continued...

Edited June 12 by ChristopheVAFC

[ChristopheVAFC]

1 hour ago, Nolan said:

You look at the last 5 results of the season. He got 12 out of 15 points available.

His staff look to be all new.

The last few games have been much better, but it's still the end of the season with teams already on holiday and players wanting to show themselves to agents and scouts...

[Nolan]

3 hours ago, ChristopheVAFC said:

His retention as coach has left many fans sceptical, and many would have liked to see a change at the head of the first team.

The sporting director has decided to keep him on as coach. Now it's up to him to show that he can turn the tide against him.

What also helps him is that this year he is taking a UEFA-recognised diploma, the Brevet d'entraîneur de football professionnel (BEPF)...

Personally, I'm not convinced, but I hope he can silence the criticism of many Valenciennes fans.

To be continued...

Remember Göztepe sacked their coach this season after 4 losses in twelve matches.

If it isn't working he'll be gone.

Edited June 12 by Nolan

[disconnect]

Any news on players staying or leaving? I see the club signed a new goalkeeper today or yesterday. I know Kayi Sanda is very highly regarded at 17 and a French youth international, so would be interesting to see whether he stays or potentially moves around the Sports Republic family?!

[ChristopheVAFC]

2 hours ago, disconnect said:

Any news on players staying or leaving? I see the club signed a new goalkeeper today or yesterday. I know Kayi Sanda is very highly regarded at 17 and a French youth international, so would be interesting to see whether he stays or potentially moves around the Sports Republic family?!

For the time being, VAFC have recruited a goalkeeper who will probably be number 2 and will also play in the reserve team.

As far as the current squad is concerned, there's not a lot of movement at the moment, because the clubs, including Valenciennes, are going through a hearing before the financial police, who check the clubs' finances every season. 

I think we'll have quite a few departures (between the end of contracts and players who don't want to play in the French 3rd division).

The aim is to recruit less but better, players with a better mentality and a winning culture too.

[ChristopheVAFC]

https://www.va-fc.com/articles/22467

 

Quote

OFFICIAL STATEMENT FROM VAFC

Following the hearing held on Thursday 13 June, the DNCG has decided to suspend its ruling pending further information requested from the club by the body. VAFC has taken note of this decision, which was expected by the club's directors. French football's financial watchdog expects the club to ensure that the losses budgeted for the 2024/25 season are fully financed by shareholders before the start of the league season.

To meet this demand, the club is carrying out a capital increase of several million euros, which will be approved at an extraordinary general meeting scheduled for early next week.

Sport Republic is also in the process of finalising all the documentation needed to guarantee the cash requirements anticipated in next season's budget.

These steps will enable the club to work calmly for the coming season.

DNCG = National Management Control Department

Edited June 13 by ChristopheVAFC

[EBS1980]

What do you think will happen with Joachim Kayi Sanda next season?

[FredVaFC59100]

I think the real problem with Valenciennes is twofold; First, we lost our identity under the new ownership; SR has turned the club into nothing more than a farm team for Southampton FC and Göztepe SK. Second, the sporting director, Ben Chorley is way over his head. He kept on making very poor choices (latest one was to keep Kantari as head coach); in a video (https://www.va-fc.com/videos/17301 at 14:16) he  claims that Joachim Kayi Sanda is the best center back in the world. Maybe he is too humble, why not the best center back of the galaxy? I predict that we will stay in 3rd division for a looooonnnnnng time.

[ChristopheVAFC]

9 hours ago, EBS1980 said:

What do you think will happen with Joachim Kayi Sanda next season?

The possibility of Joachim signing for Southampton is real for me, but at the moment there's very little information coming out in the media on the subject.

He's a player with a lot of potential and I don't think SR are going to let him go to other clubs, I'd rather know he's with you.

[Convict Colony]

1 hour ago, FredVaFC59100 said:

I think the real problem with Valenciennes is twofold; First, we lost our identity under the new ownership; SR has turned the club into nothing more than a farm team for Southampton FC and Göztepe SK. Second, the sporting director, Ben Chorley is way over his head. He kept on making very poor choices (latest one was to keep Kantari as head coach); in a video (https://www.va-fc.com/videos/17301 at 14:16) he  claims that Joachim Kayi Sanda is the best center back in the world. Maybe he is too humble, why not the best center back of the galaxy? I predict that we will stay in 3rd division for a looooonnnnnng time.

Welcome Fred

I don't see valenciennes as a farm team or losing your identity, firstly absolutely no one has been placed currently there for ours's or gozteppe's benefit, for that to happen i would expect all 3 clubs to be in the top leagues ( a la strasbourg/chelsea) and it would benefit your club as a well as better younger players would in theory join.

Yeah i was surprised about the headcoach, if he starts badly sports republic have shown they will replace sporting directors and coach as shown at gozteppe.  I watched the interview with chorley and he seemed to lay the blame on certain players refusing to play, bad influences etc.  This season I expect valenciennes to be winning nearly every week in the 3rd division, if not after 10 games i would expect to see chorley and manager leaving.

[ChristopheVAFC]

2 hours ago, FredVaFC59100 said:

I think the real problem with Valenciennes is twofold; First, we lost our identity under the new ownership; SR has turned the club into nothing more than a farm team for Southampton FC and Göztepe SK. Second, the sporting director, Ben Chorley is way over his head. He kept on making very poor choices (latest one was to keep Kantari as head coach); in a video (https://www.va-fc.com/videos/17301 at 14:16) he  claims that Joachim Kayi Sanda is the best center back in the world. Maybe he is too humble, why not the best center back of the galaxy? I predict that we will stay in 3rd division for a looooonnnnnng time.

It's true that the first year of Sport Républic's presidency didn't live up to our expectations, dear colleagues, but it's worth remembering that SR took over the club in a very poor state, both in terms of facilities and finances.

It takes time for things to fall into place and you have to be patient. You only have to look at SR's first year in charge at our friends Southampton and Goztepe to see that it wasn't easy either.

I won't go back over our former president, who made a lot of mistakes over 9 years, because you have to know how to move forward. 

I'm convinced that the coming season will be much better for us.

[ChristopheVAFC]

10 minutes ago, Convict Colony said:

Welcome Fred

I don't see valenciennes as a farm team or losing your identity, firstly absolutely no one has been placed currently there for ours's or gozteppe's benefit, for that to happen i would expect all 3 clubs to be in the top leagues ( a la strasbourg/chelsea) and it would benefit your club as a well as better younger players would in theory join.

Yeah i was surprised about the headcoach, if he starts badly sports republic have shown they will replace sporting directors and coach as shown at gozteppe.  I watched the interview with chorley and he seemed to lay the blame on certain players refusing to play, bad influences etc.  This season I expect valenciennes to be winning nearly every week in the 3rd division, if not after 10 games i would expect to see chorley and manager leaving.

I don't see it that way either. The 3 clubs each have their own way of doing things, and when I came here I didn't see any loss of identity on your part - quite the contrary!

SR's management of our 3 clubs is quite different from that of other timeshares such as City Group...

I'm also surprised that the governance has kept the coach and the sporting director, but I think that if next season goes badly, decisions will be taken very quickly.

[ChristopheVAFC]

Hello friends!

I hope you're well and that the holidays are going well for some of you too!

Yesterday, the presentation of the new home shirt for next season took place in front of Valenciennes town hall.

A new equipment supplier (Hummel) and the return of an old sponsor (Toyota).

Sold in shops for €70 (£59.30).

Link to online shop: https://boutique.va-fc.com/products/maillot-domicile-saison-2024-2025

Video presentation of the shirt by the club: https://boutique.va-fc.com/products/maillot-domicile-saison-2024-2025

What do you think, folks?

Have a great day!

Edited July 6 by ChristopheVAFC

[Holmes_and_Watson]

Very nice.

Edit: And I'm someone who thinks the Airdrie shirts are the worst, so you can go very wrong with a v on the front for me.

Edited July 6 by Holmes_and_Watson

[Toadhall Saint]

Looks good - I might get one for my son (I never wear football shirts myself).

[SuperSAINT]

1 hour ago, ChristopheVAFC said:

Hello friends!

I hope you're well and that the holidays are going well for some of you too!

Yesterday, the presentation of the new home shirt for next season took place in front of Valenciennes town hall.

A new equipment supplier (Hummel) and the return of an old sponsor (Toyota).

Sold in shops for €70 (£59.30).

Link to online shop: https://boutique.va-fc.com/products/maillot-domicile-saison-2024-2025

Video presentation of the shirt by the club: https://boutique.va-fc.com/products/maillot-domicile-saison-2024-2025

What do you think, folks?

Have a great day!

I like it.  What’s been the reaction from the fans? 

[Weston Super Saint]

6 minutes ago, SuperSAINT said:

I like it.  What’s been the reaction from the fans? 

€70!  How much!?!

[ChristopheVAFC]

33 minutes ago, SuperSAINT said:

I like it.  What’s been the reaction from the fans? 

Feedback from Valenciennes fans has been fairly positive - they like the design and quality of the shirt.

 

The most important thing now is that the shirt is our lucky charm for next season and takes us back to the second division as quickly as possible.

[ChristopheVAFC]

Front and back photo of the jersey I took yesterday.