The Bastia players, having showered and packed up, boarded the team bus back to the training base.
The players no longer had their earlier excitement.
Exhausted—they were absolutely exhausted.
In this match, everyone had given their absolute all, especially the defensive players, who had truly given everything.
Hadzibegic turned to look at the players already asleep on the bus, a smile appaering on his lips.
Many Bastia players might not have the absolute ability to play in top-level leagues. But Bastia never lacked fighting spirit.
In a long season, the ultimate winners aren't the victors of a single match, but teams that can maintain themselves under the pressure of match after match.
As long as that fighting spirit doesn't fade, the team remains that team.
If it fades—everything falls apart.
When the players each returned home, their faces still bore victorious smiles.
Tonight, all Bastia fans would celebrate and cheer for this victory.
Kanté and Mane currently lived in the training base dormitories. After saying goodbye to them, Julien returned to his own quarters.
After washing up, he lay on his bed and opened his panel.
Since returning from the national team matches, he had been hesitating about how to use his victory points.
Tonight's match against PSG had earned him 25 points.
Current victory points: 126.
After this match, he had made up his mind—it was time to increase his attribute limits.
Currently, several attributes were approaching their limits.
Dribbling, speed, strength, stamina, flexibility—all were only one or two points away from their caps.
This indicated that this body had basically reached its peak in these attributes.
Of course, his rapid improvement was largely due to having visualized attributes, allowing targeted training arrangements.
Without visible attributes, who would know where their talents lay?
You might waste too much time in wrong directions, actually delaying progress in areas where you had more talent.
This was why coaches were so important.
To some extent, coaches were that "system"—they were responsible for identifying players' talents and then guiding them.
"A good horse needs a good rider."
The same player under different coaches would display completely different abilities.
That was the principle.
However, now Julien could skip this step through attribute visualization—he could directly perceive his own abilities.
126 points could be exchanged for 12 attribute limit points.
Of course, this was only for attributes below 95. According to the system's determination, once the limit equaled 95, it would cost triple points.
This meant 30 victory points would be needed for 1 attribute limit point.
Julien thought about it.
He decided to improve stamina, strength, and dribbling.
[Stamina (+1): 80 (82) Strength: 69 (70)
Dribbling (+1): 87 (89)]
After consideration, Julien made his allocation: Stamina +3, Strength +7, Dribbling +2.
His victory points returned to zero once again.
This allocation was based on current match requirements.
Dribbling needn't be explained—it was a core attribute that must be steadily improved. But because the attribute was already high, improvement was difficult, so he allocated fewer points.
However, after breaking the 90-attribute barrier, things would be different—it must be increased.
As for strength receiving the most points, this was because as match intensity increased, Julien needed stronger physical confrontation ability.
He couldn't rely on burst/berserk mode for rescue every time, right? That would also be a huge test for stamina consumption.
So, he also added three points to stamina.
Of course, these point additions only raised the limits—ultimately, he still needed continuous training.
Speaking of training, his shoulder injury would delay him for several more days.
Julien felt his shoulder—the team doctor had provided timely treatment, and in static positions, the pain wasn't too obvious.
He hoped to make it for the Europa League.
Julien fell into deep sleep.
That night, the emotions of Bastia fans were like Mediterranean waves—never ceasing for a moment.
After the crowd dispersed, many people flooded into various taverns, drinking heavily and venting freely.
"Julien"—this originally unknown name had completely become a "legend" in Bastia people's mouths.
This name was now deeply bound to Bastia.
The painting of Julien in the Terra-Vecchia central building would accompany generation after generation of Bastia people.
Every young fan would be told by their elders about everything Julien had created at Bastia.
And all of this was continuing...
The Next Day:
The entire French media's sports sections focused on PSG's first defeat of the season at Cesari Stadium:
"This isn't an upset—it's the scalding truth: football has never submitted to ledgers and money. It forever belongs to the light in people's eyes."
"Ancelotti's tactical board was filled with various tactics, positions, and personnel adjustments, while Bastia's tactical board had only two sentences: Hold firm, give the ball to Julien."
"Parisians once again stumbled on Corsica. Last time they sheepishly took one point from Ajaccio—this time they gifted Bastia three points."
"De Rocca, a pure genius. Watching his matches, you'll forever be mesmerized by his creativity, his 'art.' But for Bastia, this match was brutal and fierce. Julien's injury withdrawal, the defensive line's massive stamina consumption—how much strength can they show in the next Europa League away match?"
Various former players also commented, along with post-match analyses.
Some said PSG lost due to their attack, lost to greater personnel changes and unfamiliar tactics.
They lost in the offensive end.
Deschamps' response to reporters was sharper: "PSG's failure came from underestimating Bastia. Julien punished them for it."
Yes, no one would have thought that a defensive line promoted from Ligue 2 could stop PSG's hundred-million-euro attacking group.
Nor would anyone have thought that facing PSG's hundred-million-euro defense, Julien could still move as if through empty space.
Bastia Training Base
Today the players had no training tasks—their only job was rest and receiving physiotherapy from the medical staff.
Fabruettu showed Julien the X-rays and said, "It's relatively good news. It's just muscle injury, and not serious. It might completely heal in a week or two."
When the examination results came out, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Hadzibegic asked, "Can you play in the Europa League the day after tomorrow?"
Julien immediately nodded.
Both Fabruettu and the team doctor shook their heads. The doctor said, "Forcing participation could worsen the injury. My recommendation is complete recovery before match play."
Hadzibegic sighed inwardly.
Current Bastia truly couldn't do without Julien.
Julien continued insisting, "This is a small problem—I feel fine, I can do it."
Chataigner, standing nearby, made the final decision for him: "Julien, you rest well. Your health is more important."
"However—" Chataigner's tone shifted as he looked at Hadzibegic and continued, "We all understand how important the Europa League is. This season the club went into debt for signings, precisely to make a breakthrough in the Europa League."
He asked the doctor again, "You're certain it's just a simple muscle problem?"
"Yes."
Chataigner nodded, "Bastia has no weaklings. Faruk, put Julien on the substitute list. I hope the team won't need him to play and can still get points away."
Julien approved of this decision. Hadzibegic also nodded.
The matter was settled.
That day, when Hadzibegic assembled the team, he announced the squad list for the away match against Viktoria Plzen.
Julien was on the substitute list.
Seeing Julien with muscle tape still attached, De Bruyne frowned, "You're injured—why are you still in the squad? You should rest properly and heal. Nothing is more important than health."
Julien shook his head, "I don't have major problems. My condition is fine—the shoulder won't affect me."
"No, you should rest!" De Bruyne still insisted, not wanting to see Julien overexert his body.
During their time together, though they hadn't chatted much, geniuses attract each other and recognize each other.
Julien smiled, "I'm just a substitute. If the team's situation is good, I won't play."
Only then did De Bruyne nod, "I won't let you play."
In his heart, he valued this match even more—at least he had to create a better situation for Bastia.
Let Julien recover peacefully.
Even the usually silent Kanté hoped Julien wouldn't play: "We'll win the match."
Lukaku said even more confidently, "Watch me! Let them see what a Bastia super tornado looks like!"
His silly expression made everyone laugh.
Everyone walked toward the cafeteria laughing and chatting.
De Bruyne couldn't help but look up at the Mediterranean September sunshine—hotter than Cobham's sunlight.
But more "warm"—this was Bastia's atmosphere.
This feeling made him somewhat reluctant to return to Chelsea.
He liked this atmosphere. A group of people, each giving their all for one goal.
In the match against PSG, after Julien left the field, De Bruyne had thought they might lose.
But then—Kanté running without regard for stamina, Choplin charging fearlessly at opponents' feet, Angoula and Cahuzac running until they cramped, and Rothen repeatedly standing up for teammates...
Everyone ran a little more, and Bastia gained not just one extra player over their opponents, but two, even three!
Bastia used running to compensate for technical disadvantages.
After the match, De Bruyne saw Cahuzac vomiting in the toilet, hiding from everyone.
Not to mention most teammates today feeling muscle soreness.
Burned out—Bastia had truly burned out.
But it was precisely this atmosphere that made De Bruyne fall for it.
He looked at Julien. He somewhat understood Julien's desire to play injured for the Europa League.
For a small club like Bastia, this Europa League was the highest level of honor they could possibly touch!
Julien didn't want to lose. Bastia didn't want to lose.
Thinking about this, De Bruyne unconsciously fell behind the group.
Julien turned and called out, "Kevin?"
"Coming."
De Bruyne showed a smile. He didn't want to lose either.
Afternoon:
Hadzibegic gathered all players again, discussing various details about the away challenge against Viktoria Plzen.
Viktoria Plzen—a Czech team, not currently a Czech powerhouse, but a strong club.
Viktoria Plzen had won the 2010/11 Czech league with a 22-5-3 record, claiming their first league title in 51 years, thus earning Champions League qualification.
They had only recently risen to prominence.
In the qualifiers, they eliminated Azerbaijan's Neftchi Baku 5-2 on aggregate.
In the third round, they beat Norwegian giants Rosenborg 4-2 on aggregate.
In the final playoff, they shocked everyone by eliminating Danish champions Copenhagen 5-2 on aggregate, historically reaching the Champions League group stage.
They were ultimately drawn with Barcelona, AC Milan, and BATE Borisov.
Third in the group, they failed to advance.
But this was already their biggest European breakthrough in club history!
This season, Viktoria Plzen didn't have Champions League qualification but earned Europa League qualification.
They had also fought their way through, successfully reaching the Europa League group stage.
This Champions League-level team was definitely not an easy opponent for Bastia.
The Next Day:
The entire Bastia squad traveled to Plzen, capital of the West Bohemian Region in the Czech Republic.
While riding the bus to their hotel, players could even smell beer aromas in the air.
This place was known as the "Beer Homeland."
Since the thirteenth century, Plzen had a history of beer brewing, passed down through generations to the present.
Czech beer consumption even exceeded Germany, famous worldwide for beer, becoming number one globally.
The most popular was "Pilsner Beer," one of the Czech Republic's three famous beverages.
However, this time, Bastia players obviously couldn't taste such local specialties.
After checking into their hotel, Hadzibegic held a pre-match press conference in the afternoon.
Reporters mainly focused on Bastia returning to Europa League group stage after many years, Julien's injury, and whether he would play in this match.
Hadzibegic said, "We never consider reaching finals and getting runner-up as an honor—that's more like shame, because we lost. It's not worth remembering."
"Returning to the Europa League excites every Bastia fan—it means we can compete with Europe's finest teams, bringing more spectacular matches to Bastia supporters. As for results, we must face reality. We're just a Ligue 1 newly-promoted team. We only hope to do our best."
"Julien's injury isn't serious. Whether he plays this match still needs specific medical evaluation. I'm not sure."
Hadzibegic's statements were relatively modest and realistic. But in evening talks with players, Hadzibegic was resolute.
"Tomorrow's match—we must get points!"
In Hadzibegic's mind, this match was crucial for earning points.
The group's strongest team was undoubtedly Atletico Madrid.
Bastia had to compete for second place to advance.
Their direct competitors were Viktoria Plzen, as the other team, Hapoel Tel Aviv, would be weaker.
So, this match against Viktoria Plzen could not be lost!
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