Valenciennes halted a frustrating three-game losing streak with a 1-1 draw against Paris 13 Atletico. The result provides a much-needed boost for the club as they navigate a period of transition following the departure of Stéphane Moulin.

Turbulent Week for VAFC

The match came at the end of a turbulent week for Valenciennes, marked by the departure by mutual agreement of Stéphane Moulin. Interim coach Pierre Blois, alongside Rudy Mater, took the reins and oversaw a determined performance from the team.

“We saw the values ​​of combativeness and self-sacrifice, I am happy for that and for the point taken.”

Pierre Blois

Moulin’s Positive Assessment

Despite his departure, Stéphane Moulin expressed satisfaction with the team’s recent performance, particularly after their 1-0 victory over Paris 13 Atletico on February 19th.

“When you come out of three defeats, you can’t ignore the importance of the next match. I think we approached and handled it well. I would have liked us to be leading at halftime, I think we should have been well ahead. There was that incident (Romain Thomas’s sending off, ed’s note) which means everything is called into question. From that moment on, we said it was going to be long. Unless we manage to rebalance the numerical equality. That was one of our goals. It position us back in the game. We had many opportunities to open the score. It took time, but we got there. All credit to the players. When it drags on like that, you can lose confidence. We know very well that the enemy of football is confidence.”

Stéphane Moulin

Moulin also highlighted the team’s resilience and commitment, stating, Mouiller le maillot, c’est la base mais il faut aussi amener un peu de football pour concrétiser. J’ai aimé l’équipe parce qu’elle a joué aussi…. (roughly translated: “Getting your shirt dirty is the base, but you also have to bring some football to create it happen. I liked the team because it played too…”)