The road to godhood starting from Ligue 1

Chapter 281 Be the one to usher in a new era
Step into the San Siro stadium.

Gaio and his teammates quickly changed their gear and went onto the court to warm up, preparing for tonight's game.

At this point, about half of the fans had already entered the stadium.

The entire stadium is decorated in blue and black.

This is Gaio's first time here in every sense of the word.

Gaio knew very well that in China, Rossoneri were used to calling it the San Siro Stadium, while Nerazzurri were used to calling it the San Siro Stadium.

They even said, "Inter Milan's home ground is the San Siro, only their rivals call it the San Siro."

in fact,

The rumor that different clubs have different names was fabricated by Chinese domestic football newspapers in the 90s.

When Gaio finally arrived in Italy and experienced everything there firsthand, he realized that the two names were inseparable.

Originally, the stadium was named after the area where it was located when it was built, and thus began its century-long legendary story as the "San Siro Stadium".

Interestingly, the decision was made by Piero Pirelli, then president of Milan and son of the founder of the legendary Pirelli company.

However, in 1935, AC Milan sold the stadium to the Milan government; in 1947, Inter Milan began using the San Siro as their home stadium.

Ultimately, after the legendary star Giuseppe Meazza, who played for both Milan clubs, passed away in 1979, the Milan city government decided the following year to name the stadium after him in his honor.

Thus, the official name became Giuseppe Meazza Stadium.

However, the name San Siro is already deeply ingrained in people's minds, and neither the club nor the Milan city government has emphasized or intervened in the matter of the two names.

Therefore, to this day, the two names of the stadium can still be used interchangeably in various contexts.

On Milan's metro map, this station is still called San Siro Stadium.

Italians do not have the concept of different clubs having different names.

Every Italian calls San Siro in their daily lives, including Inter Milan president Moratti and captain Zanetti;

All Italian companies are referred to as Meazza in legal documents, including AC Milan.

Perhaps it is precisely because these two clubs are so legendary that people would take their names "seriously".

As Gaio warmed up, he heard the roar of Inter Milan fans and also saw the presence of Bastia fans.

He thought of the stadium's legendary past.

Countless Milan derbies.

What does the Milan derby mean?
Everyone will have a different answer.

To today's onlookers, it was once the world's premier derby, but is about to fade into obscurity amidst turbulent times; while to the fans of both Milan clubs, the derby is a sentiment, a battle, and its very name has already defined its sacredness.

Milan is half red and black, and half blue and black.

That's roughly it.

And then there's the most famous "Fireworks Derby"—

That year,
The intertwined love and hate between red and black and blue and black, the convergence of the three northern powerhouses in the Champions League semi-finals, is the last collective glory of Serie A before its decline.

That year,
The dazzling fireworks brought the derby to an abrupt end, and the silhouettes of Materazzi and Rui Costa were frozen into a classic image.

Think of this.

Gaio couldn't help but recall the match against Ukraine with the national team, when he faced Shevchenko.

When these people retire, it truly signifies the end of an era.

The world of football is no longer dominated by Serie A.

There were no stars in the sky like during the Little World Cup.

The world of football now belongs to the Messi-Ronaldo duo.

Since Cristiano Ronaldo won the Ballon d'Or in 2008, Messi has won it four times in a row, and it has never gone to anyone else.

But what about the so-called "two prodigies"?
Just wait, this is only his first season, and he will challenge them.

Gaio is going to be the one to usher in a new era!

As time passes.

The number of players in the stands was increasing, and the Italian Europa League broadcast commentators were already starting to warm up the crowd—

Good evening, fans! We are now at the great San Siro Meazza Stadium in Milan, bringing you live coverage of the first leg of the Europa League Round of 16! Inter Milan, playing at home, will face the dark horse from Corsica, France – Bastia.

"For Stramaccioni's Inter Milan, there is only one option in this match: victory. After losing hope for the title in the fiercely competitive Serie A, the Europa League has become one of their most important trophies this season."

Inter Milan fans were also on time, waiting for the match to begin.

at this time.

After the warm-up ended and the players returned to the locker room, both head coaches made their final pre-match decisions.

Stramaccioni speaks very quickly and directly.

"Listen up, everyone, it's at what time."

"Don't waste time with them in midfield! Kante is pressing hard, and Van Dijk is good at headers. Get the ball to the wings early and spread out! Cross the ball from the wings quickly and accurately, find Rodrigo (Palacio), and be aggressive in your runs!"

"Secondly, be careful of counter-attacks! Keep an eye on Gaio! Javier (Zanetti), stick close to him! Don't let him get going! Esteban (Cambiasso), cover the middle. If he gets the ball, be decisive, foul him if necessary, don't be afraid of a yellow card."

"Finally, set pieces are our chance! Every corner kick, every free kick in the attacking third, get moving! It would be a miracle if they didn't make a mistake while switching defenses, seize the opportunity!"

"Everyone understands? Don't make mistakes, improve efficiency! Away goals are precious, but at home, we need to win! A winning start is the most important! Go!"

Stramaccioni finished speaking quickly.

Captain Zanetti chimed in, "Let's go, onto the field! Let them know this is our home ground!"

"Forza Inter!!"

The team's veterans still retain memories of the era of Grim Inter Milan, and teams from all corners of the world want to challenge Inter Milan.
Young people, on the other hand, are easily swayed by the atmosphere and are filled with a desire to fully express themselves.

the other side.

In the Bastia locker room, Hagi Begic didn't say anything about tactics; he just kept repeating, "Trust your teammates, trust yourself, trust Bastia!"

Before leaving the locker room, everyone, as always, joined hands and shouted, "Fight, Bastia!"

Gaio was the first to walk out of the locker room.

Doorway,

Chatham was already waiting. He hugged Gaio and said, “Although I never thought Bastia would leave France, let alone come to San Siro, I think we are creating a legend together. Go and show the Italians what a French imperial star is.”

The title "French Star" was officially coined by the Bastia newspaper after the team defeated Paris Saint-Germain twice and eliminated Tottenham Hotspur.

It has already spread among Bastia fans.

Everyone felt that this title was very impressive and much better than those random titles.

Gaio shook his head and smiled, then gave Chatham a deep hug, offering only a simple answer.

"it is good."

Their relationship over the past year has been more like that of friends. Chatham gave him his greatest support, and he brought Bastia unprecedented glory in the club's history.

This is mutual success.

At the end of the players' tunnel, Gaio saw Inter Milan's legendary captain, Zanetti.

Just then, as he turned his head, Zanetti also turned to look at him.

The two looked at each other and smiled.

The two then walked confidently onto the court, officially beginning tonight's match.

As Gaio walked through the tunnel, he listened to the deafening roar of the San Siro stadium. The moment he stepped out of the tunnel, the roar seemed to materialize into a pair of hands, pushing him outwards.

He was constantly being told that he was an outsider and that he had to submit to them.

Gaio remained neither humble nor arrogant, his steps firm.

As he stepped across the sideline, he instinctively tapped the line with his toes. Then, he stepped onto the stage for the evening!

San Siro Stadium!
Around the stands, fans were holding up banners—

"FORZA INTER SEMPRE!"

"AMALA!"

The song "C'è solo l'Inter" is also being sung continuously.

"C'è solo l'Inter per me, per me!

L'Inter siamo noi, noi, noi!

Sempre insieme cantiamo: forza Inter! "

In the end, all that remained was the chanting of "Inter" that swept through the entire venue.

As captain, Gaio encounters Zanetti once again.

After shaking hands, the two began to choose a coin toss before the match.

at the same time.

TF1 is also broadcasting the match live, with commentators introducing the starting lineups of both sides.

"Bastia still has its main lineup. After Hagi Bejic made bold rotations in the first two rounds of the league, Bastia's main lineup should have good physical reserves. On the other hand, Inter Milan, as a powerhouse, has a very depleted lineup, including some players promoted from the youth team."

"Bastia reverted to a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Lukaku leading the attack, followed by Mane, De Bruyne, and Gaião."

With two defensive midfielders, Kante and Rothen, one experienced and one young, they form Bastia's most solid midfield barrier this season!
In defense, Sidibé, who had a minor injury, returned to the starting lineup as the left-back, Anguilla as the right-back, and Joplin and Van Dijk as the two center-backs.

Goalkeeper Damian Martinez.

Inter Milan used a 4-3-1-2 formation, with Palacio and Cassano, who has returned to the squad, leading the attack.

Behind it is Gualin.

Following them are Gargano, Kovacic, and Cambiasso.

The back line, from left to right, consists of Jonathan, Juan Jesus, Chivu, and Zanetti.

Goalkeeper Handanovic.

"Both teams are in position at midfield. Alright, with the referee's whistle, the match officially begins!"

Bang!
Lukaku passed the ball back to Bastia, who wouldn't be reckless against a team like Inter Milan.

Hagi Bejic has repeatedly emphasized the issue of space. Bastia has already fully experienced the benefits of compressing the space of key opposing players after their matches against Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham Hotspur.

Therefore, Hagibis is more confident this time when facing Inter Milan.

Therefore,
This is why there is such a term as "championship mentality." Teams that win championships undergo a transformation after overcoming various opponents and defeating all obstacles along the way.

Hagi Bejic could sense that the team's talented young players were like sponges, constantly absorbing knowledge and skills.

Continuously improve and strengthen yourself!
Especially Gaio!
He improved so quickly that when Gaião told him before the game, "If possible, I'd like to try taking a free kick."

Hagi Begitch naturally agreed to Gaio's request.

Although most of the time it was De Bruyne and Rothen who handled set pieces.

but,

Hagi Begic also noticed that Gai had repeatedly sought out De Bruyne and Rothen to practice free-kick techniques during post-match training sessions.

Which coach wouldn't like a player who combines talent and hard work?
Inter Milan's formation continued to push forward and maintain pressure on Bastia as he retreated deep into the defense.

After Bastia passed the ball around a few times, Inter Milan regained possession.

However, the players did not panic. Rothen immediately closed in after losing possession, while the others quickly took their positions.

soon.

Jonathan, nicknamed "Fifth Brother," delivered a highly dangerous cross from the wing.

"Braided General" is holding off Van Dijk's defense and tries to jump to head the ball.

pity.

After facing off against Ibrahimovic and Adebayor, Van Dijk was at his most confident, and he was very decisive in his matchup against Palacio.

Palacio was given absolutely no room to maneuver.

Despite Van Dijk's strong challenge, Palacio failed to jump fully, and the ball went over both players' heads.

Cassano was on the other side, ready to provide support.

As a result, the ball was caught by Damian who rushed out of his goal.

Wow!
A roar erupted from the San Siro stadium; they saw this as a really good chance.

Jonathan Jonathan Semaicon's cross was of extremely high quality.

Jonathan is now being forced into this role.

Last summer, Maicon, whose form had declined significantly, transferred to Manchester City in the English Premier League for £300 million.

The heavy responsibility of starting right-back suddenly fell on Jonathan's shoulders, who was still not used to the pace of Serie A.

Young coach Stramaccioni had great faith in Jonathan, but at this time the Nerazzurri had entered a period of decline after the treble-winning era, and a decline in performance was inevitable. The team's poor form also affected Jonathan's performance.

After such a good pass.

When Damian caught the ball, he hadn't yet realized he needed to get back on defense.

Mane has already started ahead of schedule.

When Darmian threw the ball to De Bruyne, who had dropped back, De Bruyne received the ball with his back to goal and used a feint to get past Kovacic.

Turn around in a circle, without looking at anyone.

Bang!
De Bruyne delivered a long pass directly to the left wing.

He knew that Gaio on the right wing would be heavily marked, so the left wing was an open space!
As Mane's performance improved, he gained recognition from his teammates.

After all, he was Bastia's top signing in the last summer transfer window, so he certainly has the ability.

His speed is also a sharp blade for Bastia!

As Mane surges forward at high speed.

Gaião and Lukaku also moved forward quickly, while Kante, Rothen, and others moved forward slowly, as they were ready to ensure that the team's defense would not make any mistakes.

Jonathan only sprinted after De Bruyne passed the ball, and it was too late.

Mane sped forward.

Even if Jonatan sprinted at full speed, he would still be two or three body lengths behind.

Fortunately, Gargano was there to fill in for him.

This Uruguayan player is very good at tackling, so he is very confident in himself.

When he saw Mane dribbling at high speed and preparing to cut inside, he launched a flying tackle.

Mane was prepared, and with a quick touch of the ball, Gargano's shoe snagged on Mane's calf.

Mane suddenly fell to the ground.

drop!
The referee blew his whistle, indicating a foul and pointing to the location of the foul, awarding Bastia a free kick.

Lukaku came up and tugged at the referee's hand, shouting, "This is a yellow card, this is a yellow card!"

The referee ignored him.

Gaio then inquired about Mane's condition.

He received the ball from De Bruyne and walked to the penalty spot.

Place the ball steadily inside the circle.

(End of this chapter)