Naturally, Hadzibegic wouldn't answer such a question.
He fired back directly, "I think in a public setting, your asking me such a question shows no respect for my players. This is not only why I refuse to answer this question, but I also believe that as a journalist, you lack basic professional standards."
Without even a glance, he said, "Next question."
Immediately, a new reporter raised their hand for the next question.
The subsequent questions didn't touch on this matter again.
Most focused on Julien.
They involved Julien's performance this season, the tactical arrangements for this match, and possible transfer situations after the season ended.
Hadzibegic deflected all of them smoothly.
On the other side.
Diego Simeone was also answering questions about Julien.
"I'm aware of what a talented player he is. To be frank, we're considering whether the team needs to bring in new attacking players to increase our squad depth. Julien is a priority option we're considering.
And precisely because we know Julien's talent, we'll be more cautious. Atlético has its own spiritual core. My players are willing to run, they're willing to give everything for victory. This match will be the same."
When it came to discussing Atlético's own situation, Simeone was more succinct.
"Costa is in good form, he'll start. Koke is still young, but he's full of talent, the kind of player Atlético needs."
A reporter also asked about Courtois and De Bruyne.
Simeone simply said, "I don't know."
These pre-match interview contents further heightened interest in this already high-profile Europa League match.
Everyone wanted to see whether this dark horse from Ligue 1 could defeat the traditional La Liga powerhouse on its path to revival.
The next day.
The entire Bastia squad took the team bus to the Vicente Calderón Stadium.
This was Julien's second visit here in a short time.
However, The Calderón Stadium only truly became the Calderón when welcoming matches for Atlético!
Julien actually understood Atlético fairly well.
In his previous life, when he went to Spain to watch football, his first choice was the Calderón Stadium, not the Bernabéu, nor the Camp Nou.
The Bernabéu was like aristocracy.
Camp Nou was like genius.
Only the Calderón was like ordinary people.
It was the sweat-soaked training kits from day after day of monotonous training; it was mortal flesh and blood running desperately on the pitch time and again, earning a chance to write a legend.
Back then, Julien took the metro to Pirámides station near the stadium and pulled out his phone to take pictures with the ground.
Years later, the Madrid government built a metro station named after the stadium.
The Calderón Stadium was built along the banks of the Manzanares River. Due to lack of funding, they couldn't follow the original construction plan, so the club positioned the main stand right against the riverbank, with a tunnel road beneath the stands.
By coincidence, this became a unique stadium design in Spain.
Initially called Manzanares Stadium, on October 2, 1966, in the fourth round of La Liga, the stadium officially opened.
In that match, Atlético legend Aragonés scored a goal for the team in a 1-1 draw against visiting Valencia.
Ask any elderly fan on the street about this history, and they'd be happy to reminisce.
For young people, it's history. For the elderly, it's the trace of their lives.
The match Julien attended ended in a dull 0-0 draw.
But the fans' singing and cheering shook every inch of ground beneath their feet. The existence of the Calderón Stadium injected soul into the community, completely revitalizing this land.
This land nurtured the broadest, most ordinary working class.
Elegance was never the impression they gave to the outside world.
Rather, they consistently practiced the team motto "Coraje y corazón" : passion and courage.
Simeone's team was never easy to deal with.
Tonight,would be a tough battle.
Julien watched the surging red-and-white crowds on the street, feeling somewhat nervous and pressured.
Atlético was the first true powerhouse he'd really face.
Paris didn't count.
In the match against Bastia, Ancelotti hadn't sorted out PSG properly so their strength wasn't fully displayed.
This was a real test!
Julien turned his head. De Bruyne in the adjacent seat was also staring blankly at the crowd.
"Scared?"
Julien nudged De Bruyne with his elbow.
De Bruyne snapped back to attention, a smile appearing at the corner of his mouth. "Why would you think I'm scared? Are you scared?"
Julien smiled without answering.
Both turned back to look out the window at the Atlético fans. Some waved Atlético flags, wearing jerseys and singing support songs with passionate fervor.
Of course, there were also ordinary people, just like you and me, buying bags of chips, holding plastic cups filled with beer, bringing their families to the stadium; or sitting in front of the TV, cheering for their team.
Everyone had their own way of showing support.
Bastia was the same.
The entire city of Bastia's fans combined probably couldn't even fill the Calderón Stadium.
But this didn't affect their confidence in tonight's match.
On the street.
Modoso led several hundred Bastia fans, waving the Moorish flag of Bastia, like besieged soldiers making a final counterattack.
"FORZA BASTIA!"
"FORZA BASTIA!!"
Voices in Corsican echoed through the streets of Madrid, Spain.
For this match, Atlético gave Bastia two thousand tickets.
But only seven or eight hundred people could make it to the venue.
Bastia wasn't a wealthy city. Like Atlético's most ordinary fans, they were all living with effort.
If it were just within France, they could still come up with that money.
But when it came to somewhere relatively far like Spain,
they could only sit in front of the TV, cheering for their team.
In this world, not everyone can easily produce several thousand euros and spend at least two or three days just to watch a match.
Love and life sometimes don't align.
"Hold steady! You must hold steady! This match, my biggest worry is the defense. Don't spare your energy either, of the three substitution slots, at least two will go to the back line. You understand what I mean?!"
In the locker room.
Hadzibegic emphasized the importance of defense over and over. He wasn't a highly talented coach, nor did he have genius-level tactics.
But what he had was the tenacious defense that permeated his entire football career, from player to coach!
After Hadzibegic emphasized it repeatedly, he extended his hand in the center of the locker room.
The players gathered around, placing their hands on top.
"3, 2, 1"
"FORZA BASTIA!!"
Everyone shouted with all their might, wanting to roar out all the pent-up feelings in their hearts.
Julien was nervous. Every other player was nervous too.
This was Julien's first time facing a European powerhouse, and it was the same for most of Bastia.
Hadzibegic high-fived everyone for encouragement.
When he saw Julien, he hugged him tightly. Many words swirled in his mind, but ultimately what came out was just one word: "Go for it!"
"Yeah."
Julien nodded.
With his teammates, like soldiers heading to battle, he strode firmly toward the battlefield.
Julien adjusted the captain's armband on his arm.
Without a word, he walked toward the tunnel.
The referee was already waiting at the entrance, and Atlético players had also arrived sporadically.
Julien walked to the front of the Bastia line. He heard the roar from the Calderón Stadium!!
The sound waves converged, like ocean waves surging into the narrow tunnel entrance, constantly pressing inward.
All the sounds were compressed together, making it impossible to distinguish specific voices.
But the sense of pressure was palpable.
Boom! Boom boom!!
From the corner of his eye, Julien glanced at the Atlético player lineup. The starting eleven had been announced long ago.
Diego Costa, Koke, Raúl García, Courtois...
Julien took a deep breath.
His gaze fixed on that patch of light at the tunnel exit.
"Let's go."
When the time came, the referee waved his hand and led the charge into that light.
Julien stepped out.
The moment he entered the pitch, it was like surfacing from underwater, instantly, those roaring sounds gained concrete information.
"Atlético!"
"Beat them! Take them down!"
"French bastards, go back home!"
This season's Atlético fans deserved to sing loudly, deserved to have their blood boil. Except for drawing 1-1 away to Levante in the first league match, they'd won every game so far!
This was why everyone at Bastia felt pressure; Atlético was truly a strong team.
Julien tapped his toes on the sideline, then as he entered, turned to look at a corner of the pitch.
From afar, he could see a bouquet of flowers in the corner.
Four corners, each with a bouquet.
This was romance unique to Atlético Madrid.
This tradition began on an afternoon many years ago.
Atlético hosted Athletic Bilbao at home.
Before the match, a young die-hard Atlético fan named Margarita was drinking in an Atlético fan bar near the stadium when she saw a flower seller pass by.
She bought four bouquets and told her friends, "We'll score four goals against Bilbao today."
Sometimes, that's how stories begin.
That match, Atlético really did score four goals against Athletic Bilbao.
With each goal, Margarita threw a bouquet onto the pitch.
Because two of those four goals came from corners.
So, before each match, Margarita would place a bouquet in each corner flag area.
Decades, day after day.
This became an Atlético trademark.
As Julien lined up to shake hands, he was still thinking about this. "Atlético won't score four goals against Bastia, will they?"
Actually, when the starting lineup was announced,
Julien could sense that Simeone didn't favor Bastia that highly.
After all, their star striker Falcao was still on the bench.
Soon, All pre-match ceremonies concluded.
Players walked toward the center circle.
The match was about to begin.
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