Thomas Siniecki, Media365: published on Tuesday December 17, 2024 at 1:20 p.m.
The former coach of Metz and Grenoble will start on Sunday with the Coupe de France at Thionville.
Leader at the start of the season with three victories in three matches, Valenciennes has not fared well since, with only one success in eleven matches! Increasingly difficult to maintain for coach Ahmed Kantari, dismissed on November 26 and who did not yet have a real replacement appointed. Without him, the Northerners qualified for the 32nd finals of the Coupe de France but also lost an additional championship match at Le Mans (2-1) this weekend. Here is another former player who takes a permanent place on the bench, in the person of Vincent Hognon.
Kraft: “He knows how to give players confidence again”
Sporting director Ben Chorley is happy with his choice: “When we began this process of searching for a head coach, we wanted someone with great experience and a successful past. His five climbs as a player, assistant coach and head coach speak volumes.” As a technician, the former Nancy and Saint-Etienne defender brought Metz back to Ligue 1 in 2019, before ensuring maintenance for his first season among the elite. In Grenoble, in Ligue 2, he too often collapsed in the second half of the season after good starts, so much so that he was dismissed from his duties in March.
In any case, it is a priori an excellent reinforcement for a National club. Even if it will take a lot of effort to get back into the top 3, Orléans is eight points ahead of VA and in twelfth place – the red zone and Villefranche, sixteenth, are twice as close (at four points). While waiting to clarify the objectives a little more, President Henrik Kraft also welcomes: “His experience, his high standards and his past successes are real assets to turn around the sporting situation and give new dynamics to the entire team. his hundred matches managed in Ligue 1 and Ligue 2, he knows how to restore confidence in the players. Welcome to VA!”
