‘This club has a future’ – Ahmed Kantari’s message of hope for Valenciennes after Coupe de France heartbreak | OneFootball

In the end, it wasn’t to be for the unlikeliest of cup runs as Valenciennes FC crashed out of the semi-finals of the Coupe de France in a 3-0 loss to Olympique Lyonnais.

Outside of the cup, the club have had a torrid season that has seen them unable to shake a league form that leaves them at the foot of Ligue 2 and destined for a drop into the third division.

It was only in the Coupe de France that they could find some luck to help them over the line, they were fortunate enough to avoid a Ligue 1 side until the semi-finals, and it proved a step too far for Ahmed Kantari’s side.

They played well in the first half and even thought they had opened the scoring when Siriné Doucouré (21) tapped in a pass from Anthony Knockaert (32), but it was ruled off for a foul in the buildup. However, a second half-collapse for VAFC ended their hopes and left them wondering what could have been.

Hope for Valenciennes?

Despite this, Kantari could not fault his side’s effort, “I have regrets about the final result but I’m proud of my players. We played the first half how we wanted to, we gave them problems.” The head coach continued, “Before getting into the refereeing debate, I’d like to congratulate my players on their match.”

The manager finished with a simple statement, “This club has a future.”

GFFN | Nick Hartland