Bastia's double victory over Atlético Madrid attracted the attention of countless European club managers.
The major powerhouses, like sharks smelling blood, set their sights on Bastia, eager to tear it apart in an instant.
But who at Bastia cared?
Everyone was immersed in the joy of victory, lost in the excitement of reaching the Europa League knockout stages for the first time in over thirty years.
And as group winners, no less!
Indeed.
In their current group, Bastia had won all four matches. Atlético had been swept by Bastia in both legs, while the other two teams had been crushed by both Bastia and Atlético.
This meant Bastia had secured first place in the group with two matches to spare.
At Stade Armand Cesari, when the Bastia players took their lap of honor together, blue flags waved throughout the stands.
Modoso and several other fans stood on the front-row seats, vigorously waving Bastia and Moorish flags.
Behind them, jerseys were being waved as well.
All this passion converged into a single cry: "FORZA BASTIA!!"
Hadzibegic's excitement was still apparent at the post-match press conference.
"This is absolutely one of the most wonderful nights of my life. This is our gift to all Bastia fans, and I hope they like it."
But when asked about their Europa League goals moving forward, Hadzibegic remained characteristically conservative.
"Advancing to the knockout stage has already fulfilled our European competition goal for this season. Every opponent who can reach the knockout stage will be difficult to deal with. Our focus will remain on the league, and we'll do our best in Europe."
Meanwhile, Simeone was pressed by reporters about being scored on by Julien in both legs, with this match ending in a last-minute goal.
Simeone didn't mention how strong Julien was, only said, "In the final moments of the match, I made a mistake. I was too aggressive and gave Bastia a chance to counterattack. This was my tactical error. The players gave their all for the entire match. We still have to deal with domestic fixtures and will do everything possible to secure a Champions League spot for next season."
Another reporter then asked, "Currently, Bastia's winger Julien De Rocca is the highest-valued player in Ligue 1, even far exceeding PSG's forward Ibrahimović. Is Atlético interested in bringing Julien to La Liga?"
Simeone was evasive. "The summer transfer window is still far away, and this isn't something I need to consider. I'm only thinking about how to lead the team to victory after victory."
At the same time, after returning to the training base, the Bastia players' faces still burned with excitement—after all, they had genuinely made it to the Europa League knockout stages.
De Bruyne and Lukaku had played in the Champions League before, but this felt completely different.
Their previous clubs had been top clubs in Belgium, and they hadn't been core players. But in Bastia, this small Mediterranean city that was easily overlooked, they were the core, the heroes whose names the fans chanted.
"It feels great. Sometimes I even miss my days at Genk," De Bruyne said with a sigh, about to say something more when Julien spoke first.
"But we're supposed to reach higher platforms and defeat stronger opponents. Whether at Genk or Bastia, there's ultimately a sense of helplessness beyond our control."
Julien also sighed.
When Chataigner repeatedly inquired about his preferred destination, he knew that often, it wasn't that he wanted to leave but that he couldn't stay.
The team needed him to go.
If he didn't leave, the team's salary cap would be locked up, preventing any new signings.
This season, Bastia had stretched every resource to assemble this squad. If he didn't leave, the club's finances would collapse immediately next season.
He had to go.
De Bruyne and Julien exchanged glances, feeling their remarkable connection. He understood him, and he understood him too.
After a night's rest, the next day, not just Bastia but the entire island of Corsica was bombarded with news of Bastia advancing to the Europa League knockout stages as group winners.
Not only as group winners but as the first group winners!
The other groups had only determined early qualification spots, but first and second places were still undecided.
So how could this not be surprising?
"I now realize that Julien's valuation at Bastia truly has no exaggeration in it. What potential? Scoring against Atlético in both legs—is that still potential? That's already proven ability!"
"I really envy Bastia. When will our Ajaccio ever reach European competition? Otherwise, we'll always be overshadowed by Bastia."
"It's difficult. Bastia already has two championship titles. Oh wait, including the French Super Cup, they're the treble winners of the year. What do we have to compare? We can't compete. Let's just hope our team doesn't get relegated from Ligue 1, or we'll definitely be mocked by those Bastiais."
"Let's endure it. We mocked Bastia for being relegated to the National League for years. Now it's our turn."
Beyond Corsica's frenzied coverage of Bastia, France's mainstream media, L'Équipe, also made Bastia's victory over Atlético and first-place qualification for the Europa League knockout stages their headline news.
The article also stated, "The Bosnian always talks about avoiding relegation, always saying Bastia's second place in the Ligue 1 table is luck, but after four Europa League matches, Bastia has proven they deserve their second-place position, they could even be first."
It also mentioned Bastia's summer transfers: "Less than ten million euros, only 1/10 of PSG's spending, but currently, PSG sits fifth with 19 points, 7 points behind Bastia."
In Paris, Nasser placed this L'Équipe report in front of Leonardo.
"You've read this, right?"
Leonardo nodded.
Nasser got straight to the point. "Whatever the cost, buy him from Bastia. I've checked; he should have a release clause with Bastia. We can contact Julien directly, trigger the release clause, and offer him a large signing bonus."
Leonardo was well acquainted with PSG's methods: simple and brutal—throw money at it.
'Won't sell?'
Then add more!
PSG desperately needed an absolute star to anchor the team, so they bought Ibrahimović and gave him an astronomical salary.
Now, with Julien's meteoric rise, PSG saw another path: develop French talent!
As a French powerhouse, they naturally needed to leverage France's rich youth development resources. Too many French stars had become famous only to leave France for Serie A, La Liga, and other leagues.
Players like Zidane, a top-tier French star, weren't in France during their prime.
Now Julien perfectly fit Nasser's requirements.
"Alright, I've actually already contacted his agent, his father but they declined, saying they'd only seriously consider transfers after the winter window. This clearly means he'll only leave in the summer. That makes sense, he's playing in the Europa League at Bastia and wouldn't be able to play if transferred—"
Nasser impatiently interrupted him. "Within a hundred million, you don't need to ask me. Just decide. So, what if he can't play in the Champions League? We'll compensate him with money."
Leonardo nodded.
He was indeed concerned about this point. After all, UEFA had the "Cup-Tied" rule, whose core principle was: a player could only participate in one UEFA club competition per season for one club.
Meanwhile, in Spain, in Madrid, during a break in Real Madrid's training, Zidane casually mentioned Julien to Mourinho. "This kid tore Atlético apart in both legs."
He jokingly asked, "Would he have a place at Real Madrid?"
This time Mourinho nodded. "A weapon for counterattacks. I've watched his matches, he's a very good young man, but his style needs work. He still needs to learn. He needs to track back."
The thought of another forward who didn't defend at Real Madrid made him want to give up. Already, due to his tactical approach, his relationship with the locker room was somewhat strained.
The proud Mourinho was already considering leaving Real Madrid.
The only reason he hadn't made up his mind was that he still wanted to prove himself in the Champions League.
After all, with a squad including Ballon d'Or winners like Kaká and Ronaldo, and midfielders like Xabi Alonso, Modrić, and others, they should win a Champions League title.
This was Mourinho's confidence—he had already won two Champions League titles.
Zidane, being perceptive, understood from Mourinho's tone that if Julien came to Real Madrid, he'd still be what he'd initially thought: a bench player.
He made small talk with Mourinho without revealing his thoughts, temporarily abandoning the idea of bringing Julien to Real Madrid.
But another idea took root in his mind.
If he couldn't coach Julien on the national team, what about at a club?
Zidane now had a strong desire to manage a team.
And his ultimate goal was naturally to coach Real Madrid.
While the outside world buzzed with speculation, it seemed completely cut off by the Mediterranean. Bastia remained immersed in their victory.
However, perhaps it was the curse of excessive joy—in the league match three days after playing Atlético, Bastia lost.
They fell 2-3 at home to Valenciennes, mainly because the defense line had been drained by the Atlético match, and after rotation, they simply couldn't hold the line.
This match also exposed the fatal defensive weakness of having both Julien and Clauss on the right flank, neither could defend well.
Additionally, the back line made frequent errors. Julien scored one and assisted Lukaku for another, but they still couldn't win.
The good news was that Marseille drew this round, extending the gap between the two teams to 3 points.
The bad news was that the teams behind were catching up, especially PSG, who were on a winning streak. Ancelotti was very steady.
After 12 rounds, PSG had 22 points, only 4 points behind Bastia.
The title race remained intense.
When reporters asked Ancelotti about gradually approaching the top of the table, he simply raised an eyebrow. "Our investment and results aren't proportional, but fortunately, we've gelled. All the players are united. Not only must we advance in the Champions League, but we'll also keep pace in the league."
Ancelotti's words were no idle boast.
In Ligue 1's thirteenth round, PSG easily defeated Troyes, while Bastia lost 3-5 away to Lyon. In this match, Julien once again burned himself out, scoring twice and, through his containment, creating an opportunity for Mané to score.
Unfortunately, Lyon's attack was too fierce. Lacazette and Gourcuff both hit form in this match.
Additionally, defensive stalwart Lovren marked Lukaku tightly, making Bastia's attack one-dimensional.
Now, with Bastia winless in two rounds, the situation at the top of Ligue 1 became especially chaotic.
PSG clearly had hopes of taking over—they were only one point behind!
At the same time, Marseille also began dropping points.
Teams competing on multiple fronts, except for PSG, all encountered various problems—injuries, fatigue, and so on.
The current Ligue 1 top four: Marseille, Bastia, Paris Saint-Germain, Lyon.
Bastia fans, while understanding the team's two-match winless streak, felt somewhat regretful.
If they kept losing, they'd fall out of the top four.
Then, never mind the title—they wouldn't even secure European qualification.
With Bastia winless in two rounds, the Europa League group stage returned.
On November 23rd, Bastia hosted Viktoria Plzeň at home.
At the pre-match press conference, Hadzibegic spoke with less confidence than before, only saying, "The team's fitness situation is very serious. The defense has many older players who can't sustain multi-front campaigns. We'll make some necessary rotations."
When a reporter asked, "In the league, even though Julien has scored in two consecutive matches, Bastia still hasn't won. Will Bastia make defensive signings in the winter window?"
Hadzibegic shook his head. "I'm not clear about the specific situation, but from what I've heard, the club doesn't have sufficient financial capacity for signings."
He didn't tell the truth.
There was no need to tell the truth. Everyone understood the club's current situation.
That afternoon, Julien, De Bruyne, and others walked to the seaside together. Their moods hadn't been great lately.
The promising title race had suddenly vanished, turning into chaos.
A thought involuntarily surfaced in their minds—perhaps Bastia just wasn't meant to win the title?
No one knew the answer.
They cast their worries to the sea, but the sea only responded with roaring waves, their meaning was unclear.
"You'll turn 18 in a few days, right? What are you planning to do? We're all waiting to confirm the birthday party," De Bruyne changed the subject.
But Julien shook his head. "There probably won't be a birthday party. I'm not used to those things. I can treat everyone to dinner instead—consider that celebrating my birthday. But it'll have to wait until after the match."
De Bruyne nodded. "Of course!"
Because in the next league round, Bastia would face the current league leaders, Marseille.
It was a top-of-the-table clash!
Also, that day would be November 29th—Julien's birthday night.
Hearing De Bruyne mention his birthday, he couldn't help but reflect internally. A year already.
Yet he still hadn't conquered Ligue 1.
But countless ambitions still swelled within his chest.
After watching a complete sunset, with the glow melting golden into the sea, when he looked up again, a new crescent moon already hung above the mast.
________________________________________________________
Check out my patreon where you can read more chapters:
patreon.com/LorianFiction
Thanks for your support!