The road to godhood starting from Ligue 1

Chapter 292 Never Forget the Road You Came From
the next day.

The seaside town of Bastia is in an unprecedented frenzy, with fans' excitement rivaling that of last season's double champions.

After all, they were only strong at home last season.

And this time,
They've really made their way to the European continent!

Just like Napoleon set out from Corsica and swept across Europe, they are doing the same thing now.

The only difference is that the weapon has been changed to a soccer ball.

Every Bastia fan harbors a desire unlike any they've ever felt before, and now they dare to shout it out loud.

"We want championships, more championships!"

Not just Bastia.

Throughout France and other European countries, news of Bastia's consecutive victories over Tottenham and Inter Milan to advance to the Europa League quarterfinals continues to spread.

Following their previous articles about Gaio, L'Équipe has now written another piece.

"When the final whistle pierced the Corsican night sky at the Stadio de la Cerámica, the scoreboard showed a cold 2-0 (5-1 on aggregate), meaning that Bastia, a newly promoted French Ligue 1 team with a population of only 100,000, had crushed Italian giants Inter Milan in a stunningly dark horse fashion and proudly entered the Europa League quarterfinals!"
The absolute mastermind behind this epic battle was none other than their Corsican son, Jan Gaio!

With five ruthless goals over two legs, he single-handedly ended the Italian giants' chances of advancing further in the Europa League.

From obscurity as a Ligue 2 champion to dominating the Ligue 1 standings, and then to the glory of reaching the Europa League quarterfinals, Bastia has silenced its doubters with every step of its journey.

Their home stadium, Thessaloniki, became a purgatory that struck fear into the hearts of European giants, amidst the roars of 20,000 Bastia die-hards who seemed to be the twelfth man.

Here, Kante tirelessly swept across every inch of the grass, De Bruyne and Rothen guided the counter-attacks with precise long passes, and the ironclad defense formed by Van Dijk and Angoura overshadowed the opponent's star striker. And all of this was built on the foundation of that most dazzling star – Gaião!
Scoring twice and racking up five goals in two legs to thrash Inter Milan, this is just a glimpse of the terrifying dominance of this 18-year-old striker this season.

In the Europa League, he made 9 appearances and scored 15 goals!
With an almost absurd efficiency of nearly 1.7 goals per game, he leads the scoring charts by a wide margin, striking fear into the hearts of all defenders.

In Ligue 1, he also topped the scoring charts with 46 goals and ranked among the top assisters with 17 assists, almost single-handedly carrying the newly promoted team in their quest for the championship trophy!

His arsenal is devastating: a last-minute winner from a zero-angle angle at the San Siro, a direct free kick, a calm breakthrough amidst five defenders, and tonight's breathtaking bicycle kick. His goal-scoring style is a perfect fusion of imagination and violent aesthetics.

What's even more astonishing is that, looking across the entire European football scene, in the list of goals created in various competitions, Gaio's name is the only one that can come close to the pinnacle called 'Messi'!
It's worth noting that last season, Messi scored 73 goals and provided 32 assists across all competitions, contributing to 105 goals in a single season.

The Argentine superstar's four-time Ballon d'Or winner remains dazzling, but this youthful storm from Bastia is shaking the foundations of the old order in the most violent way.

There are many reports of this type.

Today, Gaio has become a phenomenal star in French football.

Bastia has become one of the most popular tourist cities in France because of Gaio.

Countless fans have come to this Mediterranean seaside town because of Gaio.

They saw all sorts of Gaio graffiti on the streets and alleys, and also saw the huge Gaio graffiti on the Terra-Vecchia Central Building.

Also visit the Bastia Museum to see everything about Gaio in the city and the team.

Let them see more concretely how this genius boy named Gaio was reborn from the ashes in Bastia.

In an interview, the mayor of Bastia said, "Gaio is more than just a player; he is a gift from Corsica to the world and the beating heart of Bastia."

Since he shone in Europe, our city has been swept by an unprecedented wave of enthusiasm! Every day, hundreds and thousands of fans come from all over France, from Europe, and even from every corner of the world, all for the name 'Gaio'!

Bastia has everything about Gaio.

What they touched was not just the passion of football, but also a Corsican story about redemption, struggle and dreams!

So we plan to build a football-themed plaza called Jan Gaio Plaza, so that more children can play football and embrace the sport.

A statue of Gaio will also be erected in the square in front of the museum, so that it can be seen from most parts of Bastia. Both resolutions have been passed, and we are steadily moving forward with them.

This shows how much Bastia values ​​Gaio.

The city government is even considering whether to attract some investment to keep Gaio in Bastia.

The city government is well aware of Bastia's current financial situation.

only,
It is also very difficult for the municipal government to help Bastia.

After Bastia advanced to the Europa League quarterfinals, the entire city of Bastia was still celebrating overnight and had not yet calmed down.

in the afternoon,

Modoso, Martin, Roncagliari, and others reunited at Sunset Cafe.

They celebrated last night's victory while worrying about the Europa League quarter-final draw.

After all eight teams were determined last night, the draw will officially begin at 6 PM today.

"Listen to me, I know you're all worried about being drawn against Chelsea, but let me just say this: when we drew Tottenham or Inter Milan, did you ever feel despair?!"

Mordoso, drinking his wine, stood up on the bench and roared at everyone.

Everyone else nodded in agreement.

indeed.

When they saw the draw, everyone said it was a death draw, and Bastia was doomed.

Everyone already knows what Modoso is going to say.

really.

After taking a swig of his drink, Modoso shouted again, "So, now?! Who is the only team out of four to advance to the quarterfinals? Who eliminated Tottenham and Inter Milan in succession?!"

"Bastia!"

Long Kalia, sitting in the corner, was incredibly excited. As a member of Bastia's youth academy, he felt a great sense of honor at that moment.

"Yes! It's Bastia!"

In an instant, the entire tavern was abuzz with excitement, the names of Bastia and Gaio echoing through the air, carried on the sea breeze.

at the same time,

Inside the Bastia training ground, all the players watched the broadcast in the conference room.

National team players like Gaião booked evening flights specifically to watch the draw ceremony.

Time quickly came to six o'clock.

The draw for the 2012-13 UEFA Europa League quarter-finals was once again held at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland.

The opening credits listed the match schedule.

欧联杯1/4决赛首回合将在4月4日进行，第二回合将在4月11日进行，先抽出来的球队先打主场。

The draw ceremony was hosted by UEFA Competitions Director Marchetti, with UEFA Ambassador Kluivert serving as the draw guest.

The host introduced the draw rules at the start and then played highlights and videos of the Europa League quarter-finalists' journeys. The first team featured was Chelsea, one of the favorites to win the title.

A host of Chelsea stars, including Hazard, Torres, Mata, Oscar, Lampard, David Luiz, Ivanovic, and Cech, appeared on the screen.

Gaio sat with Lukaku, De Bruyne, and others, looking at these players with some thoughts in mind. After all, for Lukaku and De Bruyne, these players were their rivals.

The moment they arrived in Bastia, it signified that they were losers.

Then came Newcastle United, with players like Ben Arfa, Cissé, Cabaye, and Moussa Sissoko appearing briefly.

Next, everyone in Bastia became excited.

The Moorish team emblem appears on the screen.

Then came Bastia's journey from the group stage to Tottenham and Inter Milan, showcasing most of their goal highlights, as well as the shouts from Van Dijk and others during crucial defensive plays.

A highlight reel of the entire Bastia!
The most dazzling of them all was undoubtedly Gaio, whose outstretched arms in celebration at different stadiums were a sight to behold.

Dominate the world!

Youthful vigor is at its peak!
Lukaku and his teammates joked with Gaio, saying, "You score so many goals, the videos are all about you."

Gaio simply smiled in response.

After all eight teams had been introduced.

Kluivert, along with the host, began the lottery ceremony.

There are no seeded teams or other restrictions in this draw. Teams from the same football association or teams that have already played each other in the group stage may meet in this draw.

Chelsea, the favorites to win the title, were drawn first, and their opponent is Russian Premier League team Rubin Kazan.

This also brought a slight sigh of relief to players like Gaio, De Bruyne, and Lukaku who were watching the draw ceremony, as they didn't want to face the strongest team, Chelsea, in the quarterfinals.

Just as they breathed a sigh of relief, they immediately perked up.

Because the next one you'll draw is Bastia!
They have been the biggest dark horse this season in both Ligue 1 and the Europa League.

And what about their opponents?

Gai and others were all looking forward to seeing who Kluivert would be drawn against, but now that his chances had been decided, they weren't too worried about the remaining teams.

When Kluivert unfolded the note in his hand.

Lukaku's eyes lit up instantly!
"Haha, finally we got a minnow too! Basel!"

It's no wonder Lukaku was so excited, because he found it easier to score goals against these relatively weaker teams. Of his more than 20 goals in Ligue 1, few were scored in high-stakes matches; most were against mid-to-lower table teams.

On the contrary, Gaio is always able to deliver a strong response in high-stakes battles.

Gaio and De Bruyne exchanged a smile.

relieved.

After facing two formidable opponents in the round of 32 and the round of 16, they were finally able to catch their breath.

Their opponent is Swedish Allsvenskan team Basel.

Bastia and Chelsea have the same schedule, playing the first leg at home and the second leg away.

Subsequently,

Lazio, the sole representative of Serie A, was drawn into Group 3 and will travel to Türkiye, a notoriously difficult away game, to challenge Fenerbahce.

Newcastle, where Kluivert once played, was the last team drawn against Benfica, a traditional Champions League powerhouse.

Similar to the Champions League draw, the Europa League draw has also been reformed this year. This draw will only determine the quarter-final matchups, while the semi-final draw will be held on April 12 at UEFA headquarters.

The two-legged semi-final will be held on April 25 and May 2.

The final match will be held on May 15 at the Amsterdam Arena.

The players seemed more relaxed when they saw Basel.

but,

Hajibejichi, however, had a serious expression and coughed to draw everyone's attention to himself.

He continued, "Alright, guys, the draw results are in, Basel."

I know what you're thinking: a 'good draw' and an 'opportunity'.

Haji Begichi nodded slightly.

"Yes, on paper and in terms of reputation, that may be true, but please remember where we are right now? In the Europa League quarterfinals!"

None of the teams that have made it this far have relied on luck, and none of them are weak teams.

Basel eliminated Zenit St. Petersburg, while Zenit eliminated Liverpool!
Basel's home ground, St. Jakob-Park, is a renowned fortress in Europe—artificial turf, passionate fans, and intense pressure are all challenges that we must respect to the fullest extent.

And then there are their key players: right winger Salah, midfield maestro Elneny, and even their goalkeeper Sommer!
Our performance this season has been quite good, but we must not be complacent. We should not think that just because we beat Tottenham and eliminated Inter Milan, we have become a top team.

We must remember that we are just Bastia, a previously unknown Ligue 2 team.

Never forget the path you came from!

Gaio hadn't paid much attention before, but he said he saw some familiar faces while watching a video of Basel.

It turns out, it really is a familiar player.

Salah, Elneny, Sommer, Fabian Schär, and other players were all newcomers, just beginning to show their talent.

Salah, in particular.

As Gaio was thinking about these things, Haji Begitch continued, "...Guys, we are on the road to making history, but this is by no means the end!"

Basel is a mountain we must climb on our path to greater glory.

Let us conquer it with our focus, our unity, and the indomitable spirit of the Corsicans!

For the team badge on our chests, for the fans on the island, for our shared dream—

Defeat Basel and advance to the semi-finals!

ALLEZ BASTIA!

In an instant, the Bastia players abandoned their initial disdain, nodded in agreement, and joined Hagi Bejic in chanting.

"Fight, Bastia!!"

(End of this chapter)