"Papi!"
The fans cried out in amazement. This former captain of Bastia—his name had been etched forever into Bastia's history.
On the big screen, Papi appeared in black and white footage, a smile was on his face as he began to speak. His voice echoed throughout the stadium.
The crowd gasped in shock. They wondered, was this perhaps an old interview the club had with Papi? Or something else entirely?
But Papi's words dispelled their confusion.
"Listen to me, lads—
I once breathed in the fragrance of this very turf back in 1978, and heard the Mediterranean waves surge with every sprint we made.
Yes, we were once just one step away from the championship trophy.
But today, I don't want to tell you about regret—I want to tell you what we fight for.
This island taught us that Bastia's reefs never fear the mighty waves. Being small isn't a weakness—it's the spark that ignites our fighting spirit!
Thirty-four years ago, we carried Bastia's roar onto the European continent.
Today, all of Bastia still stands behind you—but never let the labels of 'strong' and 'weak' bind you. Bastia's football was always born for the 'impossible.'
And Julien—"
In the footage, Papi's face broke into a smile.
Some fans had already noticed that Papi's lip movements didn't match the live audio, but no one called it out. They were lost in nostalgia for this legend.
They even thought. if only Papi were still alive to witness his beloved Bastia win championships, claim the treble, and compete in Europe once again. How wonderful that would be.
Papi's life had frozen at age 34. He joined Bastia's youth academy at 15, made his first-team debut at 19, and dedicated his entire career to the club. In 1981, after leading the team to Bastia's first Coupe de France title and fulfilling his promise to bring a trophy to the hometown fans, he could finally retire in peace, his career plagued by chronic knee injuries.
He left behind a record of 455 appearances and 129 goals for Bastia.
"Papi's" voice continued gently.
"Julien, look at that captain's armband on your left arm. When you wear it, always remember two things: First, every touch of the ball carries the heartbeat of all Bastia fans. Second, if your jersey is dirtier than your opponents' when the final whistle blows, even if we lose, the mountains of Bastia will bow their heads in respect.
Failure is never frightening, just like that runner-up finish.
Did we lose? Yes, we lost.
But those gray-haired old-timers who worked the docks and hawked fish at the market alongside me back then, they scraped together money for standing-room tickets to cheer us on in Holland during that final.
That made me understand. the meaning of Bastia reaching the final was never about the trophy, it was about proving that small clubs can be seen too.
Now it's your turn. don't worry about being strong or weak. Take it step by step, and let Europe remember how hard Bastia bones are!
Let Europe hear the Mediterranean's roar!"
As his words faded, Papi waved in the footage, as if bidding everyone farewell.
At Stade Armand-Cesari, the younger fans felt fine, they simply felt a fire burning in their chests, demanding release. But the older fans were already in tears.
Claude Papi, he was their youth incarnate. In their prime years, this omnipotent number 10 had led Bastia to conquer opponent after opponent. Despite countless offers from prestigious clubs, he resolutely honored his "one man, one city" promise.
Thunderous applause erupted throughout the stadium.
Julien and his teammates had completed the pre-match ceremonies and stood in the center circle, each feeling a fire burning within.
"Bastia! Bastia!!"
The stands roared with waves of sound. Today there were no tifos, no banners, no earth-shaking opening ceremonies, only the words of their former captain.
The TF1 commentator, witnessing this scene, introduced Claude Papi to everyone.
"This was a fighter. The fans and people of Bastia honor their legend this way, and use that legend to inspire today's players."
"Julien De Rocca, as the heir to Bastia's number 10 and as Bastia's captain, he's carrying on his predecessors' glory. Let's see how Bastia performs in the Europa League this season. They reversed their fortunes away to Viktoria Plzen last match, and now for their first European home match in 34 years, they face the relatively modest Hapoel Tel Aviv. Perhaps the result won't be disappointing."
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The referee's long whistle—the match began.
Hapoel Tel Aviv understood their gap against the Ligue 1 side, so despite being a third-tier team facing fourth-tier Bastia, they showed no contempt. They kicked off but immediately pulled back into a defensive shape, letting Bastia come at them.
Bastia showed no hesitation either. After kickoff, their forwards pressed toward Tel Aviv's ball carriers.
But today, Tel Aviv coach Nitzan Shirazi's strategy was crystal clear. sit deep and counterattack. He positioned his team completely as the underdog.
This was the first-ever meeting between these clubs, neither knew the other well. Bastia hadn't played European competition in years, and was floating around the lower divisions.
But Bastia played with tremendous initiative in this match, perhaps inspired by "Papi's" message. The players were fired up, and so were the fans, cheering every brilliant moment from their team.
In the 7th minute, Julien dribbled down the right wing, beating Tel Aviv's young defensive midfielder Goldana and Antebi with consecutive moves. Cutting inside, he curled a shot that lacked precision in his eagerness for power, allowing Armenian goalkeeper Edel to collect it.
The Bastia fans gasped, then burst into warm applause.
After getting up, Edel looked for counterattacking opportunities but found none, so he passed to his defense.
Edel was a familiar face to French fans—from 2007 to the previous year, he'd played for Paris Saint-Germain. Though not the first-choice keeper, he'd made 71 appearances over four years, winning one Coupe de France.
Time flowed under Bastia's relentless attack. The final seconds of the 9th minute ticked away, entering the 10th.
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