Valence will not be bouncing straight back into D2 this year. The club from the Drôme region has paid the same price as Red Star did last season for having a successful cup run.
Following a catastrophic start to the season, even worse than Red Stars', for a moment Valence recovred strongly and threated to be in the promotion hunt. Since then they have slipped back, and now are in mid-table, safe from relegation. In the cup, Monaco, Nantes and Strasbourg all fell victim to the side coached by Didier Notheaux. Recently, however, Valence have experienced some problems including a recent 1-0 home reversal against lowly Valenciennes proved. The objectives now are to build a side capable of competing for promotion next season.
Several players have featured for both clubs - Vincent Yazmadjian, Tarek Bouabdellah and Jean-Marc Authié.
Away from home valences' record is : P16 W5 D3 L8 F17 A18. Top scorer is Marc Eric Gueï with eight, a player loaned to Valence as part of a partnership deal linking them with the club of Louis Nicollin, Montpellier. Perhaps their best-known player is the much travelled Armenian international Eric Assadourian, formerly with Toulouse, Guingamp, Lille, Lyon and Beauvais.
Coach is Didier Notheaux, a Norman and player with Rouen, Lens, Rennes before ending his playing career as player-coach with Lisieux, who put Lille out of the Cup in 1982. Since then he has worked at Le Havre, Mulhouse, Reims, Rennes, Valence (1993-95), Sochaux as well as national coach to Burkina Faso.
G. Valck

More...