The road to godhood starting from Ligue 1

Chapter 306 Take me to the Netherlands, I want to try again.

drop!
A crisp whistle snapped Zidane's attention back to reality.

His gaze refocused on the television screen.

Bastia gets a free kick in a good position, and the close-up shot quickly focuses on Gaio.

Zidane's gaze, like that of countless fans, was completely focused on Gaio.

Will Gaiola take this free kick?
Zidane also wanted to see if Gaio's previous free kicks were truly out of confidence or just an attempt to test the waters.

The two are very different.

Thessaly Stadium.

The chants for "Gaio" seem to have never disappeared, even without tens of thousands of people chanting his name in unison. They remain in the hearts and minds of fans.

As long as Gaio is on the field, the Bastia's eyes will always be on him.

Exactly at this moment.

"Gaio, give me one!"

"Let them see my footwork!"

The voices of fans who were nearby could be heard on the field, and their French, spoken with a Bastia accent, made it difficult for the Swiss players from Basel to understand what they were saying.

but,

Just by looking at the expressions of these Bastia fans, they completely understood what these fans were saying.

Basel players were very cautious with the free kick, forming a wall and constantly positioning themselves under Sommer's direction.

When they saw the guy who created the free kick—Gao—standing on the side of the ball, they were a little apprehensive.

Before the match, Yakin mentioned that Gaio has a free kick.

However, Gaio actually didn't take many free kicks.

Therefore, in their eyes, Gaio's free-kick ability is currently a mixture of good and bad.

Gaio and De Bruyne each stood on one side.

Gaio looked at the goal guarded by Sommer, weighing in his mind how much force and what angle to use.

Half an hour has passed, and this is only Bastia's third free kick.

The first two positions were bad, too far away, so Bastia just treated them as regular fouls and drove the ball out.

The referee in this match was lenient and called very few fouls.

As the players on the field prepared, Yakin and Hagi Begic on the sidelines both looked a little nervous.

drop!
Soon, the referee blew his whistle.

Signaling that the ball can be kicked off.

Sommer moved closer to the far post, preparing to make a save, and kept an eye on Gaio and De Bruyne's movements.

After the whistle blew.

Gaio moved immediately!

He took a few quick steps and, just as he got close to the ball, unleashed a powerful shot!
At the same time, the player shifted his weight to his left foot, and his right ankle deformed slightly at the moment of the shot.

of course,

This is not an injury, because the right foot is not the supporting foot.

His entire weight was on his left foot.

With such a powerful shot, the football soared into the air and soared over the wall of players.

Head straight for the near post!

Sommer saw Gaio's movement and anticipated that Gaio would shoot at the near post, so he immediately moved and leaped out the moment the ball cleared the wall.

however,
Gaio's kick was aimed at the top near corner, almost at the tenth-tenth-degree angle.

The instinct to finish is to aim the ball into a dead end!
Although Sommer has quick reflexes, he has a natural weakness as a goalkeeper – he is not tall enough and has a short wingspan.

He anticipated, reacted, and made the saves.

but.

The football still drew an arc in the air before rushing into the top corner of the net.

Swish!
The football slammed into the net.

In the 34th minute, Gaio scored his second goal, and Bastia extended their lead to 3-1!

The stadium roared the moment the goal was scored.

This is the resounding echo of the fans' extreme excitement.

As Gaio rushed off the court, he had already spread his arms and was gliding.

"Geo!"

"Geo!!"

The fans cheered wildly, paying tribute to their legend in the most passionate way!
at this time,

The TF1 commentator's voice instantly cracked, filled with unbelievable ecstasy: "Goal! Goal! Gaio! It's Gaio again! His second goal of the first half! An unstoppable free-kick wonder!"

Look at this ball. It started instantly after the whistle blew, without the slightest hesitation. The run-up distance was extremely short, relying entirely on the explosive power of the legs and the instantaneous force of the ankles. The center of gravity at the moment of shooting was completely on the left foot, and the right ankle could even be seen deformed—this is the violent aesthetics of twisting the power of the whole body into a rope!
That angle is too tricky!

Heading straight for the absolute theoretical dead end!

Sommer's prediction was completely correct, and his reaction was fast enough, with his diving save extending to its maximum extent!

But Gaio was aiming for this extreme angle, with fast ball speed and precise trajectory, almost grazing the bottom edge of the crossbar before going into the net!

Sommer's shortcomings in height and wingspan were ruthlessly magnified in the face of such extreme shots.

Zidane smiled as he listened to the commentator's words.

He has high hopes for the French team's future in the World Cup because he has full confidence in Gaio.

Zidane is very clear that a true core player needs to be all-around.

There is only one characteristic that makes it easy to target.

Only by being strong in all aspects can one make one difficult for opponents to predict.

When Zidane saw the entire process of Gaio's goal and celebration, he felt at ease.

Gaião is exactly the all-around core player that the French team needs most!

Thessaly Stadium.

Fans have gone into a frenzy, watching the team overcome all obstacles and increasingly eagerly anticipating Bastia's performance at the end of the season.

Courtside.

Haji Begitch excitedly hugged and celebrated with his assistants, while Yakin, standing not far away, had the complete opposite expression, his brows furrowed and he remained silent.

His gaze was mostly fixed on Gaio.

For Yakin, this was the key to defeating Basel.

After Gaio finished celebrating, he returned to the center circle with his teammates.

Basel kicks off.

The game continues.

Basel's players clearly did not expect to be two goals down, let alone concede two goals in a row.

Yakin dared not take any more risks and quickly told his players to stay calm. If they conceded another goal, it would not only make the second half difficult, but it would also directly affect their chances in the second leg.

Basel contracted.

Bastia didn't press too hard, after all, Basel's counter-attacks were equally sharp.

Salah's recent attacks down the right flank have made Hagi Bejic a little nervous.

Moreover, Haji Begitch is primarily a player who prioritizes stability.

The next ten minutes saw relatively uneventful attacks from both sides, a result that Bastia could accept.

Finally, after first-half stoppage time ended. *Beep!*
The whistle blew, and the first half ended.

The stadium erupted in cheers from the fans, a mixture of celebration and anticipation.

The Bastia players breathed a sigh of relief; they were one step closer to their next goal.

The Basel players, on the other hand, looked quite serious; clearly, being down by two goals at halftime was hard for them to accept.

As soon as the whistle blew, Yakin headed straight for the locker room without looking back. As the "captain," he needed to find a way to get the team back on its course.

Gaio listened to the cheers from the crowd, walked into the player tunnel, and went back to the locker room.

"3-1, can I celebrate now? I think we've got one foot in the semifinals."

Lukaku is always chattering, and he started laughing as soon as he entered the locker room.

Lukaku flashed a bright white grin at Gaio, "Yang! That free kick of yours was amazing, Sommer couldn't even touch it! You must have been sent by God to play football!"

Haha.

Lukaku is a real character in the Bastia locker room; everyone laughs.

Joplin chimed in, "Guys! Do you see that?! The Netherlands! Amsterdam! The final is beckoning us!"

The word "Netherlands" is like a spark thrown into a powder keg.

"Yes! The Netherlands! Crush Basel! And then crush the next one! We're going to the Netherlands! We'll bring the trophy back to Bastia!"

"Let Bastia prove themselves again on Dutch soil!"

The Bastia locker room erupted in cheers.

Everyone knows that Bastia had previously been defeated by the Netherlands in the Europa League final.

right now,

They want to reclaim the trophy they once missed in the same country.

Rothen sat in the corner, listening to and watching the spirited young people.

I was immediately filled with emotion.

He thought of his only European final – the 2004 Champions League final.

Back then, they, like Bastia now, were full of dreams of lifting the trophy.

It's been almost ten years.

The fervent emotions that filled the air at Gelsenkirchen Stadium seemed to still flow through his veins.

The clamor of the 2004 Champions League final, Deschamps' furrowed brow, Giuly's tears after his injury, and—the piercing cheers of the Porto fans when the final whistle blew.

Like faded film, it flashes back in my mind frame by frame.

Back then, Monaco was just like Bastia is now—young, passionate, and with only that glittering trophy in their eyes.

They were just one breath away from the top of Europe.

That breath eventually turned into a broken sigh in the night sky of Gelsenkirchen and a suffocating silence in the locker room.

Amidst the clamor of Lukaku and the others, Rothen closed his eyes, his fingertips unconsciously tracing an old scar on his left knee—a surgical mark left by years and countless battles, proof that his peak was long gone.

Nine years have passed in the blink of an eye.

The French Ligue 1 title and the French Cup title could not fill the void in Rothen's heart left in Gelsenkirchen.

The taste of being at the top of Europe became his deepest obsession and his most painful regret in his career.

His body is no longer light, and his speed has been stolen by time. He is no longer the Ligue 1 assist king who could fly up and down the wing.

The retirement bells echoed in my ears, growing clearer and clearer.

He thought,
That dream of Europe, along with the clamor of Gelsenkirchen, has long since vanished into thin air, leaving no echo.

until--

The appearance of Gaio.

Rothen opened his eyes and looked at Gaio, who was sitting and resting, smiling as he watched the others laughing and joking.

Calm.

Rothen saw neither the arrogance of someone who became famous at 18 nor the hostility of those newspaper reports in Gaio.

Only the composure of a team captain.

Rothen smiled helplessly. Had he really turned over a new leaf and come to his senses in prison?

This 18-year-old was like a bolt of lightning tearing through the dark clouds, striking him hard at the end of his increasingly gloomy career!
When Rothen first saw Gaio, he felt there was a fire in his eyes.

It's the desire for victory!
It ignited the team, ignited the stadium, and rekindled the embers in Rothen's heart that he thought had long been extinguished!
Watching Gaio tear apart the defense time and time again on the field, watching him turn the impossible into possible in the most ruthless way, Rothen felt a long-lost thrill—the most primal desire for victory, a heartbeat that was reawakened!

Rothen felt a sudden impulse.

He couldn't help it.

He suddenly stood up and walked straight towards Gaio.

Gaio looked at Rothen with a questioning look in his eyes. The others also noticed Rothen's actions and looked at him.

Rothen responded to the stares with a smile, walked over and sat down next to Gaio, while De Bruyne moved to a slightly different spot.

"Hearing you guys talk about the Europa League final and winning the title is making the blood in my old bones boil again!"

The teammates all smiled.

But Rothen didn't laugh; he was very serious.

He took a deep breath, his gaze intense, as if he could see through the locker room walls and into the distance.

"About ten years ago, nine years ago, in 2004, I was just like you are now, full of desire for the championship. But when I actually stepped into the final in Gelsenkirchen, I was just one step away from that damn European trophy."

Rothen shook his head as he spoke, his tone somewhat forlorn.

"It's been nine years. I thought I'd end my career with this regret. Before coming to Bastia, I hadn't played a match for a year. Many people around me advised me to retire, but I didn't. I don't know what I was holding on to."

"But now I know."

As Rothen spoke, he turned to look at Gaio, patted Gaio's shoulder heavily, and stared intently at him.

"Take me to the Netherlands!"

"Take this old man with you and let's go for one more shot!"

"Let me...let me stand on the pitch of a European final, and fight one more time for myself, for Deschamps, for all the heartbroken guys from 2004, even if it's just the Europa League."

"This is my last gamble! The gas tank is almost empty, but my blood is still hot!"

"team leader!!"

A captain's voice.

The entire locker room fell silent instantly.

All eyes were on this veteran who was about to retire and the young leader.

Rothen's eyes were glistening with tears, but his spine was ramrod straight, like a rusty sword waiting to be drawn for the final moment, pointing towards that unfinished glory.

To the young players in Bastia, Rothen was always cheerful and would joke with them all the time.

They rarely saw Rothen in his most serious state.

Even Haji Begichi fell silent at this moment.

Bastia suffered a defeat in the Netherlands and needs revenge.

Rothen also needs to prove himself one last time before retiring.

Hajibegi looked at Gaio.

He knew very well that this Europa League title might just be the beginning for Gaio, and the outcome wouldn't affect his future.

but,

This was Bastia's last chance for revenge, and also Rothen's last chance!
Just as countless Bastia fans had in mind—

Having Gaio in the team was like a dream, and when he transferred away, it was time to wake up from that dream.

(End of this chapter)