The road to godhood starting from Ligue 1

Chapter 305 An Opportunity to Become a Coach in the Premier League
Hagi Begic stood to the side, sometimes frowning, sometimes relaxing, completely absorbed in the game.

He was being very cautious precisely because he knew this was possibly the greatest season of his coaching career.

One wrong move and the whole game is lost.

Having come this far, I don't want to fail at the last minute.

Coaches who started as guards often have this characteristic—they pay more attention to the quality of defense.

As for the attack?

Just trust Gaio!
With tactical demands like those from Hagi and Bejić, Basel had a tough time playing against them.

Counter-attacking is the most classic tactic in football.

Its essence is "trading space for opportunities". The way to break it is to control the pace and reduce the number of counterattacks. On the offensive end, use multiple means to break through the defense and on the defensive end, anticipate key threats.

And most importantly, it's about taking advantage of set-piece opportunities.

Italy's success in the 2006 World Cup, conceding only 2 goals in 7 matches, is a prime example of integrating defensive counter-attacks with counter-attacking strategies.

now,

After seeing Bastia's reaction to the goal, Yakin quickly signaled to the players.

Basel's players have difficulty maintaining complete ball control and cannot avoid making mistakes, so Yakin's pre-match strategy focused on specifically limiting them.

The key is to press the opponent's counter-attack initiation points and cut off long passing routes, while the full-backs tuck in to protect the gaps in the flanks.

Therefore,
Against Bastia, the most important thing is to cut off De Bruyne's connection with the forwards and limit Gaio's wing play.

Many teams know this, but very few can actually do it perfectly. De Bruyne is slightly easier to contain, but Gaio is the most difficult to contain!
The same is true.

After Gaio received the ball on the right wing, both Wozniacki and Stock were in a very awkward situation.

But the referee tonight seemed to be a bit too lenient.

Gaio's strong drive down the wing was met with a hand-pulling motion that brought him down, but no foul was called. This gave the two defenders a lesson in how to defend Gaio: foul!

Another few minutes passed.

Gaio received the ball on the wing. Instead of advancing forward, he suddenly dribbled laterally to the center before advancing forward.

but,

When he came over, Serge Dieer and Fry flanked him.

They also opted for the fouling tactic.

Gaio immediately accelerated to try and break free, but felt a kick to his shin. To protect himself, he did not accelerate further and instead fell to the ground.

However, there was no whistle, and the referee did not call a foul.

Gaio raised his hand in protest, but the referee ignored him and gestured for him to get up immediately.

this side.

Basel intercepted the ball and immediately launched a counter-attack. Fortunately, Bastia's defense was relatively solid, and they once again fell into positional play.

Gaio shook his head, straightened his socks, and got up to continue the game.

Bastia's attack was a little disjointed.

Basel wasn't much better off.

Their attacks were also severely restricted.

Finally, in the 24th minute.

Basel had a very good crossing opportunity, and Sidibé was once again outmaneuvered by Salah.

Salah then crossed the ball.

The ball was passed to the vicinity of the penalty area, and Streller laid it back with his back to goal. The onrushing Frye intended to imitate De Bruyne and unleash a world-class shot.

However, as soon as he got the ball, Kanté closed in, and Frye immediately changed from shooting to dribbling.

His dunk startled Kanter, who then stepped on his foot.

Ah!
Fry screamed and fell to the ground.

The referee blew his whistle, but he only awarded a free kick and did not show Kanté a yellow card, which displeased the Basel players and Jakin on the sidelines.

They wondered why Kanté's foul wasn't a yellow card offense.

They stepped on my calf!

"A yellow card!" Yakin was visibly agitated on the sidelines; he knew all too well how important Kante was to Bastia.

A red card is not an option, but a yellow card would also restrict Kanté's movements.

but,

The referee seemed to be too lenient today, and didn't take any further action.

Basel had no choice but to give up, after all, they had benefited from the large-scale defense they had used against Gaio in the previous few times.

Hagi Begic felt a little better after seeing this goal, at least the referee applied the same standards to everyone, instead of applying double standards.

soon.

The Basel players stood near the penalty area, waiting for the kickoff.

drop!
Frye kicks!
The football has entered the penalty area.

Both teams' players crowded together and rushed forward. While the fans were still looking at where the ball was, Streller jumped high and headed the ball towards the goal, but someone in the crowd blocked it, and the ball bounced back.

Streller was very emotional; he spread his arms wide and shouted exaggeratedly, "Handball! Handball!"

drop!
At the same time, the referee blew his whistle and pointed to the penalty spot.

Basel have been awarded a penalty!
"what?!"

The Bastia fans at the stadium were a bit confused. Why was it a penalty?

The Bastia players on the field were equally incredulous and began arguing with the referee.

Gaio was the first to rush over, exclaiming, "How could that be a penalty?!"

His tone wasn't pleasant. He had just been double-teamed and kicked in the shin without a penalty being awarded, and now that a penalty had suddenly been awarded, his tone was naturally not good.

The referee shook his head, gestured, and said, "Handball."

He pointed at Van Dijk.

Van Dijk pointed helplessly to his shoulder, "It was my shoulder that hit the ball, how could it be my arm?"

The referee shook his head again.

The Bastia players were signaled to step back; the penalty was perfectly valid and would not be overturned.

The Bastia players shook their heads in frustration.

Fabian Schär took the ball and walked to the penalty spot.

He's one of Basel's most reliable penalty takers, so they put him at the penalty spot.

Schär joined Basel from Welsh club in Switzerland last July and quickly demonstrated his individual strength as a center-back, securing a starting position.

He kissed the soccer ball as he placed it.

drop!
After the whistle blew, Scher scored in one fell swoop!

He fooled Damian's center of gravity and successfully scored.

1-1.

Basel equalized.

Schär rushed off the pitch in a passionate celebration, and his teammates followed suit. Meanwhile, the Bastia fans in the stands booed wildly, completely drowning out the sounds of the away team in the corner.

Gaio frowned.

As he walked toward the center circle, he clapped his hands at his teammates, saying, "Cheer up, this goal was just an accident."

As Gaio said this, he glanced at Van Dijk.

Van Dijk didn't seem to have much of an emotion; he has a good temperament.

Then Gaio and De Bruyne approached and said, "When you have the ball, try to give me some extra time. I have a speed advantage, and they can't stop me. They're being a bit too aggressive, so try not to get bogged down in positional play and go straight for the counter-attack."

De Bruyne wiped the sweat from his brow and nodded.

He also knew that given the high level of intensity tonight, the most appropriate way to play was to simply use speed to counterattack.

But will the other party give them that much space?
After equalizing, Basel became much more stable, and Yakin began to learn from Hagi Begic and start preparing for low-post defense.

A draw away from home is an acceptable result for Yaquin.

but,

Bastia refuses!
Gaio doesn't accept it!
After losing possession, Gaio increased his roaming range, putting significant pressure on the opponent's wing defense.

At the same time, Kanté once again demonstrated his ability to sweep away threats in midfield.

He covered a huge area in midfield and, after losing possession, worked with his teammates to press Basel.

Basel is bound to make mistakes.

De Bruyne wanted to pass the ball to Gaio, but found that Frye was sticking close to him. However, he quickly found another route.

Mane!

Bang!
De Bruyne delivered a long pass, finding Mane directly.

Mane's speed advantage had already made Basel wary, and right-back Steinhfer didn't dare to overlap at all, keeping a close eye on Mane.

Fortunately, Mane's one-on-one ability is not as strong as Gaio's, otherwise Basel would have lost both flanks.

But Mane knows his role: to break through!

We're going to charge straight at their defenses!

When he receives the ball, he doesn't use any fancy dribbling moves, he just sprints straight up and down!
Steinhefer completely opened up space to charge at Mane, and he basically had no chance of winning. He could only keep his head down and try not to fall too far behind in order to prevent Mane from cutting inside.

however.

As Mane dribbled close to the penalty area, he made a cross pass to Lukaku.

Lukaku didn't receive the ball, but instead made a quick touch and poked it to his right.

On that side, Gaio was constantly weaving forward at top speed.

This is Gaio's off-the-ball movement ability; he can always appear in the threatening area.

Lukaku sets up the ball, and Gaio makes a forward run to receive it.

This is also a common attacking tactic used by Bastia, but its effect is unexpectedly good this time!
Because Gaio's forward run completely took everyone in Basel by surprise. It wasn't that they didn't know he was going to make a forward run, but they didn't know how fast he was going to make a forward run!
They completely shook off the entire defensive line!

Single sword!

Gaio received the ball inside the penalty area, but the space for him to shoot became increasingly limited, and Sommer quickly rushed out.

Between the lightning and flint.

Gaio kicked the ball with a smooth motion, but at the last moment, he flicked his ankle and sent the ball to the other side with a deft touch.

Sommer was completely deceived and lunged to save Gaio as soon as he saw Gaio swing his leg.

Just as he lunged out, Gaio dribbled past him, and Sommer couldn't stop his movement, so he could only watch helplessly as Gaio got rid of him.

Wow!

This scene,
This made all the fans in the stadium in Cesar excited and they roared and shouted. This was Gaio's classic move of getting past the goalkeeper, which made them excited every time!

Amid cheers, the ball was gently pushed into the empty net!

2-1!

After Basel managed to pull one back, Bastia quickly took the lead.

Gaio jogged off the field, looked at the fans in the stands, and waved his arms at them, signaling them to make the noise louder!
now,

Time seemed to stand still at Thessaloniki Stadium.

Then, a primal energy, accumulated to its limit and powerful enough to overturn the dome, erupted like a volcano that had been dormant for millions of years!
boom--

This was not a single shout; it was the emotion flowing in the blood of more than 20,000 Bastia fans, erupting in a tsunami-like roar!
"Geo!"

"Geo!!"

The fans were shouting and cheering. They could feel their blood surging and roaring in their veins, incredibly hot, and every cell in their bodies was bursting with intense joy!
They waved their arms vigorously, their blue jerseys and scarves coming together like a surging ocean.

Amidst these surging waves, Gaio opened his arms wide, fully embracing the emotional surge of the fans.

now,

Madrid, Spain.

Zidane watched Gaio on TV, feeling happy for him but also worried about the increasingly complicated summer transfer window situation he was in.

Just two days ago, he received a phone call from the UK, which contacted him through a friend.

The other party claimed to be a mouthpiece for the Reuben brothers, Britain's richest men.

Their intention was simple: they wanted Zidane to persuade Gaio to join their team, in exchange for Zidane personally coaching the Premier League team!
to be frank,
When Zidane heard about the "reward," he was very interested—a coaching opportunity.

Deschamps' words to him were still fresh in his mind: "You should find a place to start coaching as soon as possible. Being a coach is not as simple as you think. You can't just win a championship by chance."

Zidane also hopes to start his coaching career as soon as possible and begin to hone his skills.

This is an opportunity.

And he was also Gaio's coach.

However, when Zidane asked which team it was, the other party did not tell him, only saying, "This is a very sincere invitation, but it is on the premise that both of us are interested, so we need to reach a preliminary consensus before we can continue to discuss the specifics in more detail."

I can only guarantee that if you can actually coach this team, you will definitely not have to worry about issues such as transfer budgets.

The Reuben brothers attach great importance to this investment!

We have no limit to our financial investment. Look at Paris Saint-Germain, look at Manchester City. They can spend more than 100 million euros in a single summer transfer window. We can do it too. We have huge ambitions!
Simultaneously,

We admire Gaião and know he is now a benchmark for French football, and we are willing to use our connections in England and elsewhere to help Gaião become the next Ballon d'Or winner.

even,

We hope he's the youngest one; he'll be 19 next season, and he has two more seasons to break the record.

Furthermore, we are willing to bring in more French players, and we hope that France, under Gaião's leadership, can successfully qualify for the World Cup.

The other party's words were meant to let Zidane make a decision.

But Zidane himself backed down.

He hesitated.

He did want such an opportunity, but he couldn't persuade Gaio just because of his own desires.

Therefore, he will not tell Gaio about this, and he will not interfere with any of Gaio's choices.

At most, it's just a suggestion.

Moreover, this suggestion must not involve any personal interest.

This is what seniors should do.

Instead of using the seniority of a senior to exploit juniors for personal gain.

Moreover, Zidane is aware of his current coaching abilities and needs to mature. If he were to coach Gaio, he might even worry that he would drag Gaio down.

Therefore,
He refused.

Although I refused, the other party did not give up and left a contact number, saying that we could continue to contact each other if I was interested.

Zidane will not back down from this decision.

He was aware of Gaio's influence and worried that he might get caught up in all the turbulence and make inappropriate choices.

However, Zidane felt relieved when he thought about his several encounters with Gaio.

Gaio will make the most suitable choice.

As Zidane pondered this, the match on TV continued, with both sides maintaining their usual slow pace.

Zidane was intentionally observing the formations of both teams, constantly simulating in his mind how he would instruct the players to position themselves if he were in charge.
If you were using Gaio yourself, how would you use it?
Counter-attack?

This seems to be a good tactic for Bastia, but it is by no means the best tactic for Gaio.

Zidane has his own ideas about football.

Although he learned more about counter-attacking under Mourinho, it doesn't mean he only knows how to play counter-attacking.

At last.

Zidane thought of the World Cup that the other person had mentioned.

His gaze was fixed on the television screen.

His thoughts drifted back to that night in 2006, and he seemed to hear the boos echoing throughout the Berlin Olympic Stadium.

All of this is so clear.

He knew that the boos were not for him, but for Materazzi, who was 193cm tall, falling to the ground so easily, and for referee Elizondo, who was holding up a red card.

The TV replay showed Zidane knocking down Materazzi.

The camera captured everything except Materazzi's voice, but sometimes words are more aggressive than actions.

Thus, his final farewell match ended with a red card.

He walked dejectedly to the sidelines, muttering to himself, and passed by the World Cup trophy with his head down. He would never lift the trophy again. He quickly walked down the stairs of the players' tunnel, returned to the locker room, and watched the entire game on television like an ordinary fan.

All those wonderful pre-match dreams—saying goodbye with a victory, expressing gratitude with a T-shirt, circling the field, and finally greeting the fans to lead the team to victory—will never come true.

He is the "Zidane" in the hearts of French fans, but he is not that perfect superstar. It is the fans who have turned him into a French icon and imagined him as a perfect person.

In fact.

During his career, he received 13 red cards, repeatedly engaged in extreme behavior, and was even described as "a madman."

Materazzi knew Zidane well and knew how to provoke him.

He succeeded.

Zidane sat on the sofa, watching the changing images on the television, his expression unchanged.

He sat there, quietly reminiscing.

Thirty years ago, when he was not "Zizou" but "Little Yezi", he was first provoked and clashed with his opponent in a match in Bouches-du-Rhône. He was like a wounded beast, refusing to give an inch.

Twenty years later, he is still the same person, choosing to bare his fangs in the face of provocation.

Thirty years later, when he has shed all his former glamour.

I keep dreaming about that night.

That night was filled with boos and noise.

And you can always see that figure who missed out on the World Cup trophy.

gradually.

The figure of number 10 blended with the figure of number 10 on the TV.

Zidane smiled.
(End of this chapter)