The stands erupted in a tearful roar.
"JULIEN!"
Hadzibegic, Chataigner, and Geronimi joined in the applause. The skinny kid they'd first met had grown into Bastia's pillar.
But Julien wasn't finished. He struck the badge on his chest emphatically. "I promise you this: someday, I'll return—maybe not as a player, but I will come back to this land that birthed my career. I'll continue fighting for Bastia in a different way!"
He paused, then raised his voice. "But now—the celebration isn't over! Next week in Amsterdam, let's go one step further! Let's achieve true perfection! Bring home the Europa League! Let all of Europe hear Bastia roar!"
"FORZA, BASTIA!"
He tossed the microphone behind him, spread his arms wide, and spun slowly to embrace the tidal wave of sound from every direction.
"FORZA, BASTIA!"
As Julien's voice echoed through every corner of the stadium, the response from tens of thousands of supporters wasn't instantaneous—it was a building tsunami of emotion that finally, inevitably, broke and crashed over everything.
"JULIEN! JULIEN! JULIEN!"
They screamed his name until their voices shredded.
This wasn't mere celebration anymore. It was acknowledgment, acceptance, a pledge: You are our pride! You will always be one of us!
When the tifo was lowered, Modoso—leader of the ultras section hammered the war drum with new fury, leading the entire stadium in rhythmic stomping that shook the foundations. Countless scarves rose over theirs head once more, forming a surging blue wave.
That moment stretched on and on.
Finally, as emotions gradually settled, the players took turns carrying the trophy on a lap of honor around the pitch. They high-fived and embraced supporters in the front rows, doused the crowd with champagne, and accepted the traditional Corsican Moor's Head flags that fans pressed into their hands.
Players also celebrated with their families, capturing photographs together.
Julien stood surrounded by his loved ones. The pride of championship slowly softened into something deeper, something tender that belonged only to family. He clasped his mother's hand tightly, ruffled his younger brother Loup's hair with the other, and exchanged knowing glances with his father and older brother René.
In this moment, he wasn't the king of the pitch—just a son and brother who'd brought honor to his family.
The trophy presentation finally concluded amid swirling confetti, golden champagne foam, and thousands of voices united in song.
But the celebration didn't end. It simply spread from the stadium into every street of Bastia, where it would continue throughout the night.
This trophy, at long last, had received its perfect coronation on its true home ground.
After the crowd dispersed, the Bastia dressing room reeked of champagne and the salt-tang of sweat. The trophy sat on the central table, reflecting harsh light. The post-celebration silence crept in, tinged with an exhausted emptiness.
Lukaku sprawled on a bench, towel draped over his face but unable to hide his grin. "Fuck me, we were singing and dancing in front of twenty thousand people five minutes ago. Now it's dead quiet and my bones feel like jelly. But damn, this feels good."
De Bruyne traced his fingertips over the medal hanging from his neck, a soft smile appeared at his face. "Three days until Amsterdam."
He looked up, his expression was slightly unfocused. "We just won Ligue 1, but it's like we're already thinking about the next match."
Someone popped another champagne bottle. The hiss of foam accompanied several tired but satisfied chuckles.
"Of course! We're here for trophies!"
Julien stood and walked to the trophy, running his hand over the cold metal. He surveyed the room, his voice laced with amusement. "You remember this time last year? We were in Ligue 2, swearing we'd fight our way to Ligue 1. Now look at us. We're here—and we're champions."
He turned to face everyone; his voice was iron-hard with conviction. "Like I said outside: in three days, let's turn Europe upside down again. One more step. Let's create perfection."
"No problem!"
The voice came from the doorway—Hadzibegic, Chataigner, and Geronimi entering. They made their way through the room, embracing each player individually.
Everyone laughed.
As the club owner, Geronimi knew exactly what to do: throw money at them.
"Next week, play well. Your bonuses are waiting!"
"HELL YEAH!"
While everyone in Bastia continued celebrating and looking ahead to next week's Europa League final, media coverage exploded across France.
L'Équipe: A small island club with a mid-table budget and a young talent once discarded by the giants have together written French football's most moving underdog story. Bastia clinched the title with two matches to spare, ending a century-long wait.
France Football: This isn't a tactical triumph—it's a miracle of belief! Bastia demolished their opponents to bring the Ligue 1 trophy home to Corsica. Julien De Rocca once again shattered scoring records through sheer individual brilliance, proving himself not just the league's king but a generational striker.
Corse-Matin: Our team, our boy, has lifted the championship trophy on home soil. Thank you, Hadzibegic. And thank God for giving us Julien De Rocca—Bastia's eternal flame!
And so on.
Overnight, all of France discussed Bastia's success.
This felt different from Montpellier's triumph the previous season. Bastia had conquered Ligue 1 while competing on two fronts. And Paris Saint-Germain had strengthened their squad this year.
Bastia's championship carried even greater weight.
That evening, after Julien and his family returned to the hotel and checked in, he opened his phone intending to browse news about tonight's triumph. Instead, he discovered that while European football was still marveling at Bastia's grassroots miracle, English football had just dropped a bombshell that could restructure the entire Premier League landscape:
Saudi Arabia's PIF has entered advanced negotiations with Fenway Sports Group to acquire Liverpool Football Club.
Reports indicated that FSG was open to selling. Since purchasing Liverpool for £300 million in 2010 and extricating the club from debt, their relatively conservative operating strategy hadn't produced significant improvements in results. An irrefusible offer was seen as the perfect opportunity to cash out and recoup their investment.
If the acquisition completed, the Premier League's financial order would be deeply overturned once again.
Julien's eyes narrowed.
Liverpool?
A fallen giant.
That could be an interesting destination.
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