Since their acquisition of Southampton in 2022, Sport Republic have relegated the club twice from the Premier League.
While the Saints appear on a steady path under the guidance of the capable technical director Johannes Spors and head coach Tonda Eckert, the ownership group have made many mistakes in recent years.
French side Valenciennes are another owned by Sport Republic. When bought by Dragan Solak in July 2023, the underperforming club were in the second tier.
Valenciennes now sit close to the relegation zone in Ligue 3, and fans making their dissatisfaction known.
A circus club
Fans of Sport Republic-owned Valenciennes interrupted their match against Orleans on Thursday night by playing circus music, the loudest noise of any in the ground.
The game at an eerily empty Stade de Hainau that averages a usual attendance of 4,763 saw Valenciennes one-nil down early on, prompting fans to play the mocking theme, with their side close to a second relegation in few years.
Une musique de cirque en plein match 🎪
— L1+ (@ligue1plus) November 5, 2026
Les supporters du @VAFC ne manquent pas de second degré face aux mauvais résultats de leur équipe 😅 pic.twitter.com/AD3idowlqx
Orleans then doubled their lead in the first half, but Valenciennes battled back to salvage a draw. The result left the Sport Republic side just two points above the drop, with serious questions remaining.
The clip of the Valenciennes fans has since gone viral on social media, putting a spotlight on Sport Republic’s relegation woes once again.
Relegation for a club the size of Valenciennes to the fourth tier in France would be hugely damaging, and another reputational blow to Sport Republic.
Southampton fans will feel for Valenciennes
While Turkish club Göztepe are flying under Sport Republic ownership, the main theme of the group’s time in football away from the Middle East has been failure.
Southampton fans will feel for the Valenciennes faithful, and while “Sport Republic, get out of our club” chants rang around St Mary’s a year ago, the Saints fans have never quite blasted circus music mid-game.
Times under Nathan Jones, Russell Martin and Ivan Juric in the Premier League could have been met with that treatment - three head coaches that have put them in the position of working towards retribution today.
Under Tonda Eckert, the Saints will feel a way back to competing in the top division is there.
After beating Arsenal and Fulham in the FA Cup as a Championship team last season, matching their win record against Premier League sides in 2024/25, a blueprint towards improvement has become apparent.
Hopefully the club’s circus era is over, though Valenciennes’ in France appears ongoing.
Add us as a preferred source on Google