The Reims Municipal Stadium felt as if it had been converted into a library.
It was as quiet and silent as a graveyard. Only the away section was incredibly noisy.
The Bastia fans were ecstatically venting their emotions, jumping and bouncing with excitement.
Since away fans couldn't bring flags, flares, or other things into the stadium, they stripped off their jerseys and waved them frantically overhead.
Even though there were only five hundred of them. They had to make noise, had to do justice to the blue jersey they wore. They would let the Mediterranean waves of Bastia sweep across the European continent!
Julien embraced his teammates, and began celebrating with each other.
Every faces of the bastia players had an unconcealed smile.
A four-goal away victory—they simply couldn't contain their inner joy.
Lukaku laughed and said, "Julien, that left foot of yours is made of pure gold. To score a goal like that, I have nothing but respect for you."
Julien patted Lukaku on the shoulder. "You're even better. You score every single game. Keep playing with this efficiency, and becoming famous across Europe is just a matter of time. I'm actually worried Chelsea might recall you early, and then we won't be able to play together anymore. Playing alongside you has truly been the happiest time."
These words made Lukaku's heart flutter with emotion. Indeed, in all of Bastia, only Julien truly understood him.
Lukaku immediately thumped his chest. "Don't worry, we're best mates. How could I abandon you? If they try to recall me early, I'll absolutely refuse! Playing with you has been the happiest time for me too."
"Let's win the championship together!" Julien gave him a thumbs up.
Lukaku grinned broadly. "Absolutely!"
Julien walked toward the center circle.
As captain, keeping the team's star players happy was a necessary task.
He knew Lukaku's personality all too well.
When he was unhappy, he simply gave up trying.
Chelsea, for instance, was the biggest victim. Chelsea lost approximately seventy million euros on Lukaku's transfer fees alone, not to mention his enormous salary.
Throughout his entire Chelsea career, he played just 59 matches, contributing 15 goals and 2 assists.
So far at Bastia, he had already scored 7 goals with 1 assist, basically half of his Chelsea career output.
Of course, Lukaku still harbored hopes for Chelsea, and planned to return in the summer transfer window to prove himself.
Beep!
The referee's whistle sounded again.
Nice kicked off. But their players' fighting spirit had completely evaporated. Puel stood on the sidelines, hand to his forehead, perhaps pondering why this match had gone so wrong, or maybe thinking about how to transform this team.
In the final moments, Julien got a decent chance. He broke through on the wing, but unfortunately, when he cut inside for the shot, the angle was covered and the goalkeeper made the save.
This was Bastia's last opportunity.
Finally, the full-time whistle blew.
The scoreline was set.
0-4.
This was Bastia's biggest winning margin in Ligue 1 this season.
The TF1 commentator marveled, "This promoted side Bastia simply doesn't play like a newly promoted team—they're too fierce! When tomorrow's Ligue 1 matches conclude, Bastia's position in the league table will likely be confirmed. Right now, Bastia has climbed to 2nd place.
This is an incredible position. Could Bastia possibly replicate their Ligue 2 miracle this season? Win the title in their first year after promotion? My God. Just thinking about it makes my blood boil. This season's Paris Saint-Germain, after failing to win the title last season, spent heavily on reinforcements, seeming determined to claim the championship.
Could they possibly be denied by Bastia again?"
"What's even more crucial? Look at Bastia's current statistics—they've scored 21 goals as a team, averaging three goals per match, leading all of Ligue 1! They're eight goals ahead of second-placed Lorient.
While Bastia still maintains one of the top three defensive records in the league, this attacking firepower is truly fearsome."
After the match, Hadzibegic was beaming with joy. A long-awaited big victory, after the grueling battles with PSG and Pilsen, and the cup disappointment, finally came this thoroughly satisfying triumph.
In interviews, he constantly praised his players: "They are Champions League-level players."
Bastia fans wholeheartedly agreed with this assessment.
Tonight, all of Bastia was immersed in the joy of victory. Glass after glass of alcohol went down, and in September's pleasant climate, many fans stumbled out of taverns, swaying and staggering until they collapsed on patches of grass, falling into deep sleep.
When aroused from their dreams, not knowing what they were dreaming about, they would shout, "FORZAAA Bastia!"
Such cries usually attracted not passersby, but responses from other sleeping fans nearby, "FORZAA, Julien!! We are champions!"
Puel accepted responsibility for everything in his interview. "This was a massive failure, a match failure with many causes, but tonight it was my fault. The players executed the tactics very well—it was my pre-match preparation that was inadequate.
Bastia is very strong. They have an enviable squad with many impressive players. De Rocca goes without saying, and their number 17 midfielder is equally amazing. If they maintain their current form, they will achieve success this season.
At least now they're in the top four positions on the table, while we need to understand our own position. The previous two seasons we barely avoided relegation. This season we hope to stay up more comfortably.
This is just part of a long season. We must always work toward the next match, not dwell on the results of the previous one."
The next day.
When the players who had returned to Bastia late the previous night woke up, the news was completely about Bastia's victory.
Corsica Daily in particular declared outright: "We are replicating last season's promotion miracle."
Bastia fans found these reports absolutely delightful.
It was thrilling from start to finish.
They began fantasizing about how to celebrate their Ligue 1 championship, or perhaps other titles.
At the Sunset Café Bar.
While drinking, Modoso called out to the others, "Do you have any ideas about how to organize our support now?! I'm creatively exhausted!"
"Haha, I thought that European Championship cosplay of Napoleon's soldiers was brilliant."
Modoso waved his hand and said. "But we can't use the same idea repeatedly. The Europa League is coming up, and it's our home match. Shouldn't we put on quite a show?"
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