November 24th, 8:30 PM.
At Stade Armand Cesari, blue flags waved. The match had been underway for over an hour, with Plzeň holding Bastia to a 0-0 draw at home, still scoreless.
The broadcast cameras occasionally swept over Bastia's bench, where Julien, De Bruyne, Kanté, and Lukaku were all seated.
Having already qualified early, Bastia chose not to chase the small prize money from Europa League group stage victories, instead opting for extensive rotation.
Two consecutive league defeats had already sounded the alarm for Bastia.
As for fans' constant complaints that the final two rounds of European group stages sometimes became uninteresting—Hadzibegic couldn't be bothered.
He always told reporters the team needed to avoid relegation, but actually getting relegated would be another matter.
On the sideline, Hadzibegic remained relatively composed, but in the stands, Geronimi was anxious.
He said to Chataigner beside him, "Are we being too aggressive this season? Will there be problems?"
He couldn't help but worry, after all, he was the owner.
If the club's finances went wrong, Bastia would basically be saying goodbye to him. His only option would be to sell the club cheap and let someone else take over.
Chataigner was relatively calm. "The season is long. It's too early to say these things. Besides, Chairman, you must understand that whether Bastia wins the title or not has little to do with our financial situation."
Geronimi had been anxious and confused, but Chataigner's words instantly clarified things for him.
He replied, "Indeed, I was too nervous. After all, having reached this position, who wouldn't want to be the leader? Two consecutive defeats have made me somewhat uneasy."
As for what was most related to their financial situation, neither man said it explicitly, but both knew.
Julien.
Whether they won the title or not, only Julien's transfer would allow Bastia to sweep away their accumulated financial problems.
"FORZA BASTIA!!"
The roar from Stade Armand Cesari rolled on. Even though this was Bastia's "second team," the fans' support didn't weaken at all.
On the field, Mané in attack was wreaking havoc on Viktoria Plzeň's flank defense.
Cheers erupted periodically from the bench.
Two consecutive defeats had affected Bastia, but not to an overwhelming degree. The problems in those two matches came mainly from the back line.
On the contrary, in those two league matches, left-back Sidibé increasingly demonstrated his ability, becoming the most stable and outstanding player in the defense.
In this match, Sidibé continued to contribute steady flank defense.
Julien said to De Bruyne, "If we beat Marseille in a few days, we'll temporarily be first. Actually, losing two matches isn't that serious. We don't need to chase a perfect record—we just need to be stronger than our opponents.
Even if we only finish with 80 points, as long as we're first, we're champions. Otherwise, even with 98 points, if we're second, we're forever second. We just need to be stronger than our opponents—that's enough."
"I understand that principle, of course. I'm not actually worried about Marseille. They're increasingly running out of steam. I'm worried about PSG," De Bruyne responded.
Julien nodded slightly.
Indeed, Paris was competing on multiple fronts, currently gaining momentum, and had unknowingly closed to within 1 point in the league.
Based on Julien's vague memory, in his previous life, PSG should have stumbled last season, allowing Montpellier to win the title, before beginning their Ligue 1 dynasty.
So, in Ligue 1, their only opponent this season was Paris.
Paris was still very strong—they just kept failing in the Champions League. When Julien had crossed over, Paris was still desperately pursuing a Champions League title, unable even to keep Mbappé. He didn't know if Paris ultimately achieved their dream and claimed their first Champions League trophy.
Presumably, after losing Mbappé, Paris would be even further from a Champions League title, right?
Lukaku, sitting nearby, also said, "I used to think matches were too simple, that as long as you wanted to, you could win, it was just a matter of running more. But when you're actually on the field, with consecutive matches, your legs don't obey."
His performance in these two rounds hadn't been good either. He'd been soft in physical confrontations, with only his trademark burst runs still posing any threat.
But as the season progressed, Lukaku's characteristics were figured out. Now Ligue 1 defenders knew how to handle Lukaku's impact.
Kanté just listened quietly without complaint.
No matter how tired, as long as the coach asked him to run, he would grit his teeth and defend.
Playing football was always better than going hungry.
The group chatted casually. In the end, Julien added, "Wonder who we'll draw in the knockout rounds."
He vaguely remembered that this season's Europa League should be won by Chelsea after they were knocked down from the Champions League group stage, then dominated the competition.
According to the rules, the knockout stage draw would include 24 Europa League group stage qualifiers and 8 third-place teams from Champions League groups.
The 12 Europa League group winners and the 4 best-performing Champions League third-place teams would be seeded first, while the 12 Europa League group runners-up and the 4 worst-performing Champions League third-place teams would be seeded second.
Now Bastia was a first-seeded team, but Julien didn't know if Chelsea would be in the top four or bottom four among Champions League third-place teams.
If Chelsea ended up in the bottom four and Bastia drew them, that would be truly unlucky.
"Hopefully it's a team from outside the big four leagues," De Bruyne said.
Lukaku was full of bravado. "Once we're rested, we won't fear anyone!"
Whoosh!
Just as they were chatting, Plzeň forward Darida sent the ball into the net.
0-1.
Although Bastia fans were somewhat disappointed, their songs continued unchanged.
"FORZA BASTIA!"
On the sideline, Plzeň manager Vrba wasn't that excited about the goal.
Plzeň had previously won once, drawn once, and lost twice, accumulating 4 points for third place in the group—only slightly better than Hapoel Tel Aviv, who had three losses and one draw in four matches.
To qualify as group runners-up, Plzeň still faced an uphill battle. The upcoming match against Atlético would be the decisive showdown.
To some extent, Vrba was grateful to Bastia. If Bastia hadn't rotated and "given away points," they wouldn't even have had a chance at a decisive match.
Time flew by.
The referee finally blew the whistle for full time. The 0-1 scoreline seemed to satisfy both sides.
Bastia gained valuable rest time, while Plzeň earned the opportunity to face Atlético head-on in a final battle for the second qualifying spot.
After the match, Vrba shook hands with Hadzibegic and said "thank you."
Both being from Eastern Europe, they shared some understanding.
This match was unimportant.
After the match, there wasn't even much fan discussion. Seeing the increasingly severe league situation, they cared more about the league.
Moreover, fans discussed signings more than anything.
"We must make signings in the winter window, or we really can't hold on. We don't need stars—just someone who can sub for Choplin and others. Otherwise, no matter how many we score up front, we'll give away just as many at the back."
"Indeed. PSG's form keeps improving. I know winning the title feels unrealistic, but having reached this position, who can resist thinking about it?"
"Wonder how the Marseille match will go. If we lose again, we really might not be able to stay in the top group."
"It's difficult. For teams with thin benches, the mid-to-late season is hardest, especially when competing on two fronts. The only good news now is that we've secured first place in the Europa League group early. We can ease up and save our strength for the league before the winter break."
The day after the match, Le Journal de Bastia ran a headline about Bastia's current situation.
Bastia's Winter: Three-Front Collapse, Hidden Concerns Emerge Beneath the Glory
"The chill of early winter is blowing fiercely with the Mediterranean wind through the hearts of Bastia fans. Just half a month ago, we stood proudly in second place in the league, drawing attention from all of Ligue 1. However, these past two weeks have become the coldest valley of our season so far, with bitter three consecutive defeats rapidly evaporating our advantage in the standings.
As the team struggles in the mire, only Julien continues fighting with everything to hold up hope. In these two league defeats, he single-handedly scored all three of the team's goals like a lone hero.
However, the brighter Julien's brilliance, the more it reflects the stagnation of the team's overall operation. His bloody battle ultimately became a heartbreaking 'empty carry'—goals couldn't be converted into victories, adding another breadth to the hero's tragedy.
The cliff-like decline after glory is no accident.
Defense in shambles: In the past two league matches, our goal was breached eight times! Poor marking, chaotic defensive coordination, fatal errors in key areas—this once-proud defensive line has become riddled with holes under opponents' sustained attacks, repeatedly nullifying Julien's efforts.
The thin bench makes tactical adjustments inadequate.
Fitness reserves are critical, players showing fatigue. Sprints lack power, tracking back is untimely, technical actions severely deform under high-intensity confrontation—insufficient fitness reserves have become the straw that breaks the camel's back.
Despite the dark clouds and heavy concerns, Bastia's foundation hasn't been shaken. The depth accumulated in the first 11 rounds and the fighting spirit displayed prove we have the genuine strength to compete at the top of the league.
Hadzibegic says 'the players need rest, need to accumulate strength to respond.' The direct dialogue with league leaders Marseille at the end of the month will be especially important.
It's worth mentioning that November 29th is also Julien's birthday night.
Birthday night, top-of-the-table night?
It's still unknown, but the season is long, and one setback isn't enough to determine everything. Bastia's urgent priority is to face the wounds exposed by three consecutive defeats, especially the defensive chaos and lack of squad depth."
Whether reading media reports or seeing fans' comments on social media, the Bastia players felt the same heaviness in their hearts.
Beating Marseille became the driving force in the players' minds during these training days.
Three consecutive defeats—it couldn't continue!
They needed a victory, even a big one.
At a team meeting, Chataigner clearly stated in his morale-boosting speech, "Everyone hold on for one more month. After Christmas, when the winter window opens, the club will definitely make signings and I can tell you responsibly: no fewer than two! All in key positions!"
With these words, the players' expressions varied. Most showed anticipation, but some frowned.
After all, there were only 11 starting positions. Who would the newcomers replace?
Novaes, in particular, had a bad premonition. Whether media or fans, his performance had always been criticized. He knew this himself, so he trained very hard, but ultimately, talent was talent—it didn't change through effort alone.
Time rushed forward, approaching the 29th. The closer it got, even the seabirds along the Mediterranean coast grew more agitated.
Fans waited eagerly.
Unfortunately, this was an away match, and many couldn't go to Marseille—Marseille had only allocated 1,500 away tickets.
On the morning of the 28th, Bastia held a pre-match press conference.
Hadzibegic wore a smile. "This is a very important match—everyone knows that. But the more so, the calmer Bastia must be. Any result is possible. We didn't do well in the past three matches, but that's in the past. Every match is a fresh start."
"Last match we rotated—now everyone is available to play. Julien is of course still our core player. You said it yourselves—my tactical board only has one tactic: find Julien."
At this point, not only Hadzibegic but even the reporters laughed.
Hadzibegic didn't care at all about what was initially obvious mockery. When he said it himself, the phrase became mere banter.
When asked about how winning this match would put them at the top, Hadzibegic shook his head.
"As long as the season isn't over, any ranking is meaningless. Just like half a month ago, no one thought we'd have three consecutive defeats. I'll say it again: we need to play with a relegation-avoidance mentality. In this regard, I very much agree with what Ancelotti said."
Hadzibegic deliberately shifted the topic to PSG. He continued, "When everyone's focused on whether Bastia or Marseille will be first, haven't you noticed that PSG has been winning consecutively and is only one point behind us? Perhaps after just one match, PSG will end up on top."
In any case, Hadzibegic wanted to divert the topic away from Bastia.
After the morning press conference ended, the entire Bastia squad assembled and departed for Marseille to prepare for tomorrow night's Round 14 match.
At the same time, Pierre was in Manchester, England, having dinner with someone named David Gill.
Pierre followed Julien's instructions to establish his agency in England.
This inevitably created connections with some English clubs.
David Gill was one such connection.
Pierre knew he had other intentions obviously coming for Julien's transfer but Pierre himself treated this as just a dinner.
Because when Julien learned that David Gill had invited him, his words as refusal was very straightforward: "If Sir Alex doesn't retire at season's end, there's something to discuss. If he retires, there's absolutely no room for negotiation."
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