It came from Elion, the Chelsea scout who'd never abandoned hope of bringing Julien back to West London. The message was short: Roman Abramovich planned to sign a world-class striker in the summer transfer window which was a detail already leaked by so-called Chelsea insiders to English media.
Elion confirmed it with certainty. Abramovich would buy a striker.
Julien replied politely. He understood Elion's motives well. The scout who'd brought Julien to Stamford Bridge once wanted to deliver that talent to the Bridge again.
But Julien couldn't return to Chelsea. Not anymore.
The reason had nothing to do with Chelsea itself—everything to do with Abramovich and what Russia represented.
Why had Julien wanted the Premier League in the first place?
Simple. As someone from the future, Julien knew exactly how the Premier League's global influence would skyrocket. At this moment in time, its profile was already immense and would only grow.
That's why Abramovich had purchased a Premier League club in 2003. Owning one meant possessing a business card distributed to billions worldwide. In 2003, Russia desperately sought integration into the Western world.
Chelsea, a London based club, became Russia's calling card for that integration. Russian capital investment in England served genuine strategic purpose during this period.
It mirrored the Middle Eastern oil sheikhs purchasing European clubs and pumping in billions to compete—they all needed platforms for visibility.
And Football provided that platform and quite beautifully.
But the Middle East differed from Russia in critical ways Julien didn't fully understand.
What Julien did know with absolute certainty: early next year, Ukraine's Donbas region would explode into violent conflict with Russia. That confrontation would obliterate Russia's efforts at Western integration. Russian-Western relations would nosedive irreversibly.
After that conflict began, Russia wouldn't need Chelsea anymore. From a macro perspective, Abramovich's investments would become meaningless—worse, they'd carry catastrophic financial risk.
Abramovich didn't abandon Chelsea after the initial Russia-Ukraine crisis. But Julien knew exactly how the trajectory would unfold. By 2018, Abramovich would be banned from entering Britain.
By 2022, Chelsea would be forcibly sold. The £2.5 billion sale price? Abramovich wouldn't see a penny.
From a sporting perspective, Chelsea wasn't Julien's ideal match either.
How does one achieve greatness? By winning everything they've never won before.
Why did countless fans worship him at Bastia? Because he'd delivered the unprecedented—everything this island club could never have touched otherwise, dreams eternally beyond reach.
He had no desire to return to Chelsea. Moreover, Chelsea wouldn't necessarily deploy him as the undisputed focal point.
Finally, Julien had one more reason to avoid Chelsea: Mourinho's imminent return. The Sun reported Mourinho and Chelsea had reached an agreement—the Special One would return to Stamford Bridge.
The official announcement might wait until July 1st, but the deal was done.
Recently, Abramovich and Mourinho had dined together at "La Famiglia" restaurant in Chelsea, spotted by witnesses. According to The Sun, Mourinho had signed a £10 million annual contract. His return was inevitable.
Julien had no animosity toward Mourinho. It was purely tactical preference.
Who wouldn't want to play flowing, elegant, beautiful football? Counter-attacking systems didn't fully unleash Julien's strengths—he understood this familiarly.
Even now at Bastia, he often starved for service, waiting endlessly for possession while teammates' combination play remained limited.
After two seasons of defensive counter-attack, Julien was done with it.
It was that simple.
After replying to Elion, Julien returned to training, focused on unlocking Balance's first ability: Symmetrical Coordination.
This was his most achievable short-term target. Requirements: Flexibility ≥70, Ball Control ≥85, Strength ≥75.
Julien needed just one point in flexibility, one in strength. Strength cap sat at 77—reaching 75 was straightforward.
Flexibility cap was 70, currently at 69. Maxing it out would be challenging, so after the last league match, Julien had spent 10 victory points to raise the flexibility cap by 1.
Now only flexibility remained insufficient. But that would change within days. Once he hit 70, Symmetrical Coordination would unlock.
Honestly, Julien was thrilled. This ability would comprehensively enhance his attacking versatility, enabling him to play anywhere across the front line.
He could already imagine defenders' frustration when he did:
'You focusing on my right side? I'll shift to the left.'
Next match against Chelsea, their fullbacks would typically be Ashley Cole, Azpilicueta, or Bertrand. Julien could simply torture whichever one was slower.
He could even move centrally, letting Lukaku occupy his favorite wide position.
Of course, these were just Julien's thoughts. Actual tactics depended on Hadzibegic's decisions. Unlocking positional flexibility meant nothing if teammates couldn't adapt.
Choosing clubs meant choosing managers. The same player under different coaches produced wildly different results—it was a universal truth.
The simplest example was De Bruyne under Mourinho versus Guardiola.
From the moment Chelsea was confirmed as the opponent, Hadzibegic worked tirelessly. Every day was consumed by Chelsea analysis or tactical discussions with his staff. Daily training continued as usual.
Outside Bastia, French media framed the semifinal as a matter of national honor.
"Bastia, this Corsican promoted side operating on a fraction of their opponent's budget, has stormed to the semifinals through astonishing team spirit and clinical attack—it is their first appearance at this stage in 34 years.
Chelsea with world-class stars like Torres, Lampard, Mata, and Čech, are genuine European titans. Stamford Bridge is a genuinely fearsome fortress."
The tie's biggest storyline is the Three Chelsea players returning to their former home: De Rocca, De Bruyne, Lukaku!
Julien De Rocca: Once discarded by Chelsea's youth system is now the Europa League's brightest star. His pace, dribbling, and finishing will directly test Ivanović's defensive line. After leaving Chelsea, everyone assumed his career was finished. Instead, through sheer ability, he's fought his way back to face his former teammates.
Unfortunately, those De Rocca clashed with Carriço and Terry won't feature. One's at Real Madrid; Benítez has frozen the other out.
Kevin De Bruyne: The Belgian midfielder barely featured for the Blues. Now he's Bastia's midfield heartbeat. Can his vision and passing slice through Benítez's defense? This is De Bruyne's golden stage to prove he deserves a Chelsea starting role.
Romelu Lukaku: The powerful striker once touted as Chelsea's future is now flourishing at Bastia. His physicality will challenge Ivanović and Cahill head-on.
Regardless of outcome, Bastia reaching the Europa League semifinals is French football's pride."
Finally, as days dissolved into preparation, Hadzibegic gathered the squad for tactical deployment in the meeting room.
The coach looked weary, sleep-deprived and was entering with thick folders of analysis material.
"Right. We go to Stamford Bridge on the 25th. I won't waste words. I just hope we emerge from London in one piece."
A slight smile cracked Hadzibegic's tired face. Players nodded in understanding.
Reaching this stage, nerves were inevitable. Not from fear of losing—from desperately wanting to win. An opportunity to make history, to showcase their value, sat within reach. Everyone wanted to seize it.
Hadzibegic quickly got to business, instructing Dominique to start the projector.
As the assistant fiddled with equipment, De Bruyne elbowed Julien. "Confident against Chelsea's defense?"
Julien smiled. "Get me the ball, I'll put it away."
De Bruyne nodded slightly. "Make your chances count."
Both understood the reality: away at Chelsea, opportunities would be scarce. Every chance was precious.
The presentation began.
Hadzibegic combined video footage and tactical diagrams, carefully explaining Benítez's Chelsea system.
"Benítez is stubborn. He'll absolutely use his eternal 4-2-3-1. Behind Torres or Demba Ba, he can field three number tens, giving them the capacity for rapid counters and intricate short passing. Their positional rotations create rich tactical options. Defending them will be extremely difficult.
But Hazard, Mata, and Oscar—this technical trio of attacking midfielders typically operate around the box's edge, avoiding congestion inside. We cannot give them space. Watch this example..."
Hadzibegic continued dissecting Chelsea's patterns. Below, Julien listened intently.
Football tactics were extremely variable. No single system conquered all opponents. Coaches needed constant study and adaptation—so did players. Understanding tactical intent ran deep.
Football, ultimately, served one purpose: scoring goals.
But creating shooting opportunities?
That was the eternal challenge.
Julien pondered while Hadzibegic explained.
Chelsea's attacking organization relied on short passing combinations. The core mechanism: center-backs safely progressing to the double pivot, who then choose between recycling possession, switching play wide, or driving centrally.
On counters, Mata received quickly and distributed. Hazard and Oscar attacked half-space channels, the striker created room, Ramires provided running support, Lampard timed late arrivals.
Benítez's key innovation involved deploying David Luiz as a holding midfielder, leveraging his comprehensive passing range—both short and long to enrich midfield organization. His partnerships with Ramires and Lampard created tactical flexibility and adaptability.
Ramires remained crucial to both phases—the fastest to recover defensively.
Defensively, Chelsea employed high pressing and an offside trap, switching into a 4-4-2 with wingers tracking back or maintaining a 4-2-4 to preserve counter-attacking threat.
The primary weakness: Chelsea's right side.
When Azpilicueta pushed forward, he struggled to recover, leaving massive space behind requiring Cahill's cover and Ramires's compensation. Transitions from attack to defense often left them numerically vulnerable to counters if fullbacks didn't track back promptly.
Chelsea's left side, with Cole, was considerably more solid.
Hadzibegic locked eyes with Kanté. "You must shut down Mata completely. Don't let him receive or pass comfortably."
Kanté had been somewhat overwhelmed by the tactical lecture, but this final instruction registered clearly.
He nodded vigorously. Man-marking one player was his specialty.
Many Bastia players resembled Kanté—drowsy from tactical overload. Most lacked the capacity to fully grasp complex systems. They executed what coaches instructed, nothing more.
Not every professional footballer becomes a manager.
Not every manager was a professional player.
As Hadzibegic discussed Chelsea's right-side vulnerability, his gaze shifted toward Mané, ready to issue instructions—
Julien interrupted. "Faruk, I can play left wing."
'Huh?!'
Julien's statement stunned everyone. He'd exclusively played right wing, rarely appearing elsewhere.
Hadzibegic paused, then quickly recovered, nodding at Julien. "Alright. We'll discuss it afterward. I need to finalize the lineup anyway—we'll confirm the day before the match."
Julien nodded, falling silent.
Hadzibegic continued discussing defensive organization.
De Bruyne frowned, glancing at Julien, whispering, "Your left foot on the left wing—doesn't that waste your attacking ability?"
Typically, left-footed attacking players occupied the right wing, enabling them to cut inside and shoot. Left foot on left wing meant crossing from the byline—assist-oriented play.
He didn't voice his deeper concern: deploying Julien on the left felt wasteful.
Compared to Lukaku's finishing, Julien remained more reliable.
Julien responded confidently, "Relax. I've developed my right foot."
De Bruyne's frown deepened. He worried Julien was overconfident.
Against Chelsea, chances would already be limited. Putting Julien on the left felt like self-sabotage.
Still, De Bruyne said nothing further. He trusted Hadzibegic would make the right call.
He simply watched Julien speak briefly with Hadzibegic after the meeting, receiving a nod of approval.
"Come on," Julien said, turning back to De Bruyne. "Training ground."
De Bruyne followed somewhat confused, heading to the afternoon session.
What he witnessed that afternoon made him feel like he'd encountered something inhuman. That phrase echoed through his mind again: "Genius is merely the threshold to feel his talent."
He watched Julien, operating from the left, absolutely shred Bastia's hastily assembled defensive line into ribbons. Martinez's goal was breached repeatedly. Julien's right foot functioned identically to his left—he was completely ambidextrous.
The entire training ground erupted with gasps and cheers. If they hadn't known Julien had always played right wing, they'd have sworn he was a natural left-winger.
Once flexibility reached the threshold, Julien had unlocked Symmetrical Coordination. That was why he'd confidently volunteered for the left.
Hadzibegic looked absolutely stunned, his face was breaking into a broad smile. He realized this revelation would shock everyone.
Chelsea knew Julien as a right-winger. When he appeared on the left, what would their players expect?
Obviously, they'd prioritize defending his crosses.
But Julien's close-control dribbling, his ability to manipulate tight spaces, and that elite finishing—Chelsea was in for a rude awakening.
Thinking through the implications, Hadzibegic felt even more confident about the tie's prospects.
Time continued its march.
Media in France and England ramped up coverage of the Chelsea-Bastia semifinal.
Naturally, English tabloids favored gossip over tactical analysis.
English media's sensationalism was legendary among Premier League fans, with The Sun leading the charge—authoritative on everything except football tactics.
They'd famously reported on the Terry-Bridge scandal: Terry's affair with Bridge's girlfriend Vanessa, in Bridge's home, in Bridge's bed, on Bridge's lawn...
The Sun provided exquisite detail:
Terry met Vanessa at least twice weekly—once after training, once post-match.
He'd tell his wife, "I need extra gym work, my legs still aren't strong enough," then sprint to Vanessa's place.
Sometimes Terry deliberately kept Bridge behind for extra training with younger players, then headed straight to Bridge's house and knocked.
Tap, tap, tap.
With this pedigree, English media naturally dredged up Julien's entire Chelsea history as clickbait. They lamented how Julien's return to Stamford Bridge would lack the satisfaction of facing his old adversaries Terry and Carriço.
De Bruyne and Lukaku, Chelsea loanees and fellow "rejects," received brief mentions.
Julien scanned these articles after training or breakfast, but only focused on actual Chelsea news.
For instance: Lampard and David Luiz arguing, with Benayoun breaking it up.
Terry benched by Benítez, who claimed Terry's post-injury conditioning remained poor. Terry told fans directly: "I can play twice a week, no problem! I'm fully fit and desperate to feature in every Chelsea match."
Terry admitted under Benítez, he no longer appeared to be first-choice at center-back.
Various stories of Chelsea's internal dysfunction.
Plus "external" conflicts: Before facing Bastia, Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson and Chelsea boss Benítez—longtime rivals reignited their war of words.
Benítez and Ferguson had clashed constantly during Rafa's Liverpool tenure. Now the United boss fired another salvo.
Ferguson accused Benítez of prioritizing personal legacy—adding a trophy to his résumé over Chelsea's league position.
"Benítez has done well these past few weeks, but he's more concerned with his CV. That's clearly what matters to him.
Chelsea fans aren't booing him anymore, which has helped him relax and start selecting the right lineups."
Benítez fired back, claiming Ferguson's decades of success came solely from outspending rivals.
"When you manage a top club with more money than everyone else for years, of course you keep winning. Of course you can talk."
Benítez twisted the knife on European competition: "Should he have better European results? I don't know. Let's leave it there."
The pair had significant history. Their most recent spat came when Chelsea visited Old Trafford in the FA Cup—Benítez claimed Ferguson deliberately refused to shake hands. Ferguson denied it.
When reporters raised it again, Ferguson said: "At Old Trafford, I didn't even see him. I don't know why he made such a fuss about handshakes."
This was merely one strand of drama.
But within the pile of Chelsea news, Julien spotted something about another London club. A familiar name caught his eye: the Reuben Brothers attempting to acquire Arsenal shares, with negotiations progressing rapidly.
'Wait, what?'
Julien read with surprise, initially assuming it was fabricated nonsense. How could Britain's richest family afford Arsenal? And why would Arsenal even sell now?
Reading further, the picture was explained.
David Dein, forced out by a Kroenke-Usmanov alliance, had somehow connected with the Reuben Brothers in his disillusionment, hoping to revolutionize Arsenal.
Though once Britain's wealthiest, the Reubens clearly couldn't swallow Arsenal alone. The key name appeared: PIF.
The Saudi Public Investment Fund. Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund controlled by the government.
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