The third ability transcended normal physiological boundaries.
In reality, primary muscle groups naturally bore the brunt of exertion during movement, fatiguing faster than supporting muscles.
But this ability, Fatigue Distribution redistributed that burden evenly across all surrounding muscle groups. The strain was shared, lactic acid dispersed more efficiently.
The result? Delayed exhaustion, enhanced muscular endurance, reduced injury risk, and a fundamentally more balanced physical system.
Combined with his hidden injury resistance attribute—the more damage accumulated, the more resistant he became and layered with this fatigue distribution, Julien felt nearly invincible.
Still, even through his excitement, he remained pragmatic. These abilities had activation requirements. Each demanded specific attribute thresholds to unlock.
The three abilities required:
Flexibility ≥70, Ball Control ≥85, Strength ≥75Flexibility ≥75Strength ≥80, Stamina ≥80, Injury Resistance ≥70
His current relevant attributes stood at:
Flexibility: 69 (70 cap)Ball Control: 91 (95 cap)Strength: 74 (77 cap)Stamina: 83 (85 cap)Injury Resistance: 67
Ball control and stamina posed no problems. Strength and flexibility weren't far off either. The first ability especially—both flexibility and strength were just one point away from activation. Easy enough.
The real challenge? Flexibility's cap was too low.
And the third ability's injury resistance stat proved stubbornly difficult to improve. Those three points might as well have been thirty. Julien had no direct method to raise it—he could only boost other attributes and hope they pulled injury resistance up with them. That's how he'd gradually climbed to 67.
But regardless, all three abilities would comprehensively elevate his game. Julien felt electric with anticipation. If it weren't so late, he'd have sprinted straight back to the training ground. He forced himself to sleep, already counting down the hours until he could begin unlocking these capabilities.
The next morning, Bastia erupted into absolute pandemonium.
News of their Europa League semifinal qualification had swept across Corsica overnight like wildfire. How long had it been since a Corsican club reached a European semifinal? When was Bastia's last appearance at this stage?
The answer applied to the entire island.
Long enough to drive everyone mad.
Many fans had never witnessed a Corsican team in a European semifinal during their entire lifetimes. Similarly, in over a century of modern football, Corsica had never produced a European champion.
This season—could it happen?
Bastia was no longer just the hope of Bastia supporters. They carried the dreams of the entire island. Since Napoleon, Julien had once again united Corsica.
Meanwhile, as the Europa League's final four was confirmed, attention also intensified. Bastia fans buzzed with speculation about their next opponent.
At the semifinal stage, there were no weak teams. No one reached this point on luck alone.
The four clubs: Chelsea, Fenerbahçe, Benfica, and Bastia.
Chelsea had lost 2-3 away to Russia's Rubin Kazan but advanced 5-4 on aggregate, becoming the only Premier League club in the semifinals.
Newcastle, the other English representative, drew 1-1 at home with Benfica but crashed out 2-4 on aggregate—it was another painful blow to the Premier League, already eliminated completely from the Champions League.
In the other tie, Lazio drew 1-1 at home with Fenerbahçe, falling 1-3 overall.
After a morning of agitated anticipation, the semifinal draw took place at 12:30 CET in Nyon, Switzerland, at UEFA headquarters.
The two legs would be played on April 25th (first leg) and May 2nd (second leg). The final was scheduled for May 15th.
After morning training and lunch, Julien and his teammates gathered again to learn their fate. Of the three potential opponents, Chelsea was the one Bastia desperately hoped to avoid.
The draw was straightforward—only four teams remained. UEFA Secretary General Infantino presided, with final host venue ambassador Ruud van Nistelrooy as guest. The results came quickly.
Bastia drew the opponent they least wanted: Chelsea.
Fenerbahçe would face Benfica.
When the results flashed on screen, Bastia's meeting room erupted in murmurs. Hadzibegic's expression flickered briefly before composing itself. He observed the room, then spoke clearly.
"Right. You've all seen the draw. I think at this stage of the season, having come this far, you don't need me spouting motivational speeches or working you into a frenzy. The fact that we're in the semifinals is motivation enough."
His eyes swept the room carefully.
"So, train hard. After two Ligue 1 matches, we go to Stamford Bridge and prove ourselves."
When he said "prove ourselves," Hadzibegic's gaze landed directly on Julien, then shifted to De Bruyne and Lukaku seated nearby.
The implication was crystal clear.
The Chelsea Rejects XI would return to Stamford Bridge.
Julien hadn't imagined this day would come. Neither Bastia nor Chelsea had either. When the loan contracts were signed months ago, a reunion seemed impossibly distant. No one had bothered with avoidance clauses.
Hadzibegic quickly dismissed the meeting.
Julien turned to De Bruyne and Lukaku with a wry smile. "Coach wants us to prove ourselves."
De Bruyne had imagined facing Chelsea countless times. The initial nerves had long since faded into calm acceptance. "Yeah."
Lukaku, by contrast, looked fired up. "I'm going to show them I deserve a Premier League starting spot!"
Julien shrugged. "Then let's prepare properly. We're going home to wreck the place. Don't embarrass yourselves."
That afternoon's training session sizzled with intensity. Chelsea was an uncharted territory, an opponent Bastia had never faced.
After a decade of Roman Abramovich's unlimited investment, Chelsea had transformed into genuine Premier League royalty. League titles, Champions League glory—their trophy cabinet was stacked. They were, without question, the strongest European opponent Bastia had encountered.
Julien trained with fierce focus. His priority was unlocking the Balance ability as soon as possible. He could feel it—once all three branches were activated, his game would ascend to another level.
As for Chelsea? They'd deal with that on match day.
While Julien worked, Hadzibegic and his coaching staff buried themselves in Chelsea analysis.
The reality was simple: From manager Rafa Benítez down to players and club officials, Chelsea had publicly stated their primary objective was securing a top-four league finish to guarantee Champions League qualification. The Europa League, by necessity, was secondary priority.
Chelsea's fixtures around the two Bastia legs told the story. They'd face Liverpool away on April 21st, Swansea at home on April 28th, and Manchester United away on May 5th.
On paper, the home match against Swansea looked easiest as Swansea had already secured Europa League qualification via their League Cup success and sat comfortably mid-table.
Yet this same Swansea side had eliminated Chelsea in the League Cup semifinals. Away to Liverpool would be brutal. The final-day trip to United might prove to be easier if United clinched the title early, sitting twelve points clear of City.
But Chelsea's biggest problem was fixture congestion.
Their relentless runs in the FA Cup, Europa League, and League Cup had created a scheduling nightmare. The Blues had already played 68 competitive matches this season. If they reached both the FA Cup and Europa League finals, that total would hit 70 games.
Aside from the season's opening fortnight and international breaks, Chelsea had played twice weekly, operating at maximum capacity all campaign.
Fatigue would be Chelsea's greatest vulnerability down the stretch.
Six players had already surpassed 50 appearances: Čech, Hazard, Mata, Oscar, Ramires, and Torres. Eleven players had logged over 3,000 minutes—numbers unthinkable at any other club.
Last weekend's home match against Sunderland had been a arduous 2-1 victory. Last night, they'd lost 2-3 away in Russia.
Both results screamed exhaustion.
Considering everything, Hadzibegic believed Bastia had a genuine chance. A strong chance, even.
As for the De Rocca-De Bruyne-Lukaku-Chelsea narrative?
That was a separate story.
While Hadzibegic obsessed over Chelsea analysis, league preparations fell primarily to assistant manager Dominique. Their next fixture took them away to Lorient. But Bastia's league pressure had vanished.
As Bastia marched triumphantly forward, PSG had become a punching bag for Parisian media and fans.
One commentator wrote scathingly: "The final whistle at Camp Nou didn't just signal Paris Saint-Germain's Champions League elimination—it was a hammer blow, shattering the Parc des Princes' grandest blueprint for the season. A squad assembled at staggering expense has run aground spectacularly.
Yet more suffocating still: looking up at the Ligue 1 table, the leaders are a promoted side from Corsica—Bastia! An eleven-point chasm with only seven rounds remaining.
"PSG gambled everything on the Champions League, strategically sacrificing league points. Now the European dream lies in ruins, the domestic title all but gone. Both fronts lost. Total collapse."
Meanwhile, though the Qatari ownership remained silent, this disastrous campaign had thrust the Italian manager into the firing line. His tactical system, dressing room management, and in-game decisions faced unprecedented scrutiny. Rumors swirled of Real Madrid interest in Ancelotti.
Perhaps it was time for Carlo to move on.
Those familiar with European football knew of the "Mourinho Third Season Syndrome."
Less discussed but equally potent was the "Ancelotti Second Season Curse"—teams under Carlo tended to decline swiftly in year two after initial success.
1996-97: The young Ancelotti led Parma to their best-ever Serie A finish (second place). The following season? Sixth place, Champions League group stage elimination, and dismissal.
2006-07: He guided Milan to become seven-time European champions. The next year brought Champions League round-of-16 elimination and fifth in Serie A—no Champions League qualification.
2009-10: Chelsea won the Premier League under Ancelotti. Year two saw domestic collapse, humiliation by Manchester United in Europe, and his departure.
Now in PSG's second season, the pattern repeated itself.
The Parc des Princes fans, once ecstatic over the Galáctico signings, had turned vicious. Banners and jeers thrived: "Ibrahimović only performs when winning," "Beckham is a mascot," "Ancelotti Out."
Paris Saint-Germain's 2012-13 season had become an expensive nightmare.
Time marched forward continuously.
April 16th arrived. Northwestern France, Brittany region, Morbihan department—Lorient.
This port city at the confluence of the Scorff and Blavet rivers, adjacent to the Atlantic, witnessed 17,000+ fans roaring themselves hoarse at the Stade du Moustoir. Moments ago, the final whistle confirmed their upset: they'd beaten Ligue 1 leaders Bastia!
3-1 to Lorient at home.
The next evening, PSG dispatched Bordeaux. With six rounds remaining, the gap narrowed to eight points.
On paper, eight points looked very catchable.
However, Bastia had rotated heavily against Lorient, resting key players. On April 21st against Lille—a side with nothing to play for—the cavalry returned.
Julien bagged a brace. Lukaku matched him with two goals of his own.
4-2 at home to Lille.
Though PSG also won, Bastia maintained their eight-point cushion with five matches left.
French media split on the title race. Some insisted PSG still had hope—Bastia's two-front war would grind them down eventually.
Others declared it finished. Bastia's squad had Julien, whose safety-net quality was exceptional. Winning wasn't always easy, but not scoring?
That was nearly impossible with Julien on the pitch.
With these two matches concluded, Bastia supporters turned their full attention to Europe.
Every remaining fixture felt suffocating. Whether Europa League or Ligue 1, they couldn't afford to lose.
The day after dispatching Lille, Julien received a message from London.
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