The road to godhood starting from Ligue 1

Chapter 323 Go, Triple Crown Winner
The match has ended, but the intense excitement and fervor inside the Cesarian stadium remains undiminished.

On the contrary, it is like fine wine, becoming more and more mellow with age.

Not a single fan wanted to leave early; everyone was greedily trying to prolong this historic night.

As captain Gaio led his teammates, soaked in sweat and grass, their faces etched with exhaustion and ecstasy, slowly toward the stands to take their leave.

The atmosphere in the stadium reached another fever pitch.

"Triple Crown Winner! Triple Crown Winner!!"

This is no longer a distant dream, but a battle cry filled with longing from tens of thousands of people.

Some elderly people were also roaring along with the young people, their eyes filled with tears, their lips trembling as they shouted in rhythm, as if declaring to their youth that their long wait had finally been answered.

Seeing this, Gaio pursed his lips, feeling a surge of intense emotion flowing throughout the stadium.

It penetrated his body.

It also penetrates every person's body.

Triple Crown Winner!
What a magnificent word.

Let alone a treble, even a single championship a season ago was something Bastia couldn't even dream of.

And now,
They're going to pursue the treble.

They've already won the French Super Cup this season, and are now just one win away from Ligue 1 and the Europa League.

Gaio and his teammates linked arms and danced along with the fans to the music filling the stadium.

When the noise in the stadium finally subsided.

When the players returned to the locker room, they were still deeply moved.

The teammates looked at each other, smiled, and their eyes were full of longing.

The word "Triple Crown" stirred countless ripples in their hearts.
at the post-game press conference.

Hagi Begic still had the excitement of advancing to the final on his face, but he remained calm. Regarding his assessment of the match, he said...
"This victory does not belong to me, but to the entire burning Corsica. This glory belongs to every soul who ignited the Thessalon Stadium with their shouts, and to all the people of Bastia who have never lost hope during their 35-year wait."

This is not a miracle, but a victory of belief and tactical discipline. Chelsea is a strong opponent with world-class players. We were well prepared before the match and we firmly believed in our style of play.

The key to the game was that each and every one of us executed the tactical plan perfectly from the first minute to the last.

When reporters brought up the topic of Gaio, the pride in his eyes was undisguised.

"Yang, his brilliance tonight has already surpassed everything that excellence can describe. To me, it is a dominant force that shapes the course of history."

Whether he is already a top player or not, I believe you have already seen the answer he wrote himself in this Europa League semi-final.

I am very fortunate to have coached such an extraordinary player.

When asked about the significance of eliminating Chelsea, his tone became firm: "It means everything. It's not just a victory, it's a ticket to the final."

It brought endless joy and immense pride to our island and our fans.

Returning to the finals after 35 years, this time we go with stronger conviction and clearer goals.

This means that my players have received the highest reward for their hard work and talent.

This means to the club that we are on the right track and that our name is once again being solemnly mentioned in European football.

But as I often say, we will not get addicted to it.

Enjoy tonight, and when we wake up tomorrow, our eyes will be on the next game, the next goal.

The Ligue 1 title is yet to be decided, and the Europa League final is not the end; this team's legend is still being written.

When a reporter brought up the treble winners...

Hajibegi smiled but didn't answer directly. Instead, he said something that sounded rather strange: "The stars hanging in the night sky guide us, but they won't willingly fall to earth."

Haji Begitch actually answered many, many more questions.

Once a person is happy, they are more willing to open up, and he also talked about the performance of many players on the team.

And the other side.

Benitez didn't have much to say.

Benitez's expression was solemn, but his tone was steady, revealing a deep weariness and formulaic calmness.

"We made mistakes in the decisive moments in both penalty areas. Our attack lacked efficiency. The players tried, but sometimes, effort is not enough to win a game. You need to be smarter, calmer, and make better decisions in crucial moments. Today, our decisions were poor."

This is a very, very disappointing result.

The Europa League is an important goal for us this season, and being eliminated in this way is obviously unacceptable.

Now, we need to quickly refocus on the Premier League. We still have games to play, and we need to secure Champions League qualification for next season.

This is the only thing we can do right now, and it's what we have to do.

"Now is not the time to discuss my future. I am a professional coach, my contract ends at the end of the season, and I will fulfill my responsibilities until the very last moment."

No matter how.

This night belongs to Bastia.

In the taverns of Bastia, the sounds of clinking glasses and hearty shouts echoed through the night, occasionally escaping from a tavern window and mingling with the sound of the Mediterranean waves, creating a continuous and unending symphony.

Gaio and his teammates returned to the training base together.

They were on their way when they learned about their final opponent – ​​Benfica.

Benfica, a powerhouse from the Portuguese league, came from behind to defeat Fenerbahce 3-1 at home after trailing 0-1 in the first leg away from home, successfully advancing to the Europa League final.

Fenerbahce managed a goal through former Liverpool striker Kuyt, but it wasn't enough to save the day.

Young player Sahin had a mediocre performance and was substituted at halftime.

After learning the result, Hagi Bejic did not let the players continue to discuss the final. Instead, he said, "Alright, you all need to rest. Don't think about how to play in the final. That's my problem to solve. Your task is to rest well, maintain your condition, and then wait for my instructions."

Hahaha.

Everyone laughed.

Hagi Begic is very strict during training, but he also cares about his players in many ways, a contrast unique to old-school coaches.

Both strict and caring.

Lukaku boldly declared, "Don't be afraid of Benfica. They won't win the European Championship in a hundred years. We have a very good chance!"

Haha.

Lukaku's words drew another round of laughter.

Rothen added with a laugh, "Hopefully, old man Gutmann will protect us and prevent his curse from failing."

Gaio didn't interrupt.

Watching my teammates discuss the mysterious phenomenon of Benfica—the Guttmann curse.

The world is scientific, but some things are really hard to explain.

In short, this is like this: you helped your company achieve its best performance ever, but your boss refused to give you a bonus or renew your contract. You were so angry that you exploded on the spot, and before leaving, you uttered the most vicious curse: "You'll never win the European Championship again in a hundred years!"

And then, they really never took it again.

The story begins with a combination of a genius coach and an invincible team.
In the 60s, Benfica of Portugal was highly competitive and could easily be considered a European super club.

Their coach, Béla Guttmann, is a football prodigy from Hungary with a fiery temper but a keen eye for talent.

He built a dream team with a god-like super striker – “Black Panther” Eusebio.

Under his leadership, Benfica dominated the field:

In 1961, they defeated the invincible Barcelona and won the European Cup!

In 1962, they defeated Real Madrid again and successfully defended their title!

Winners of the Champions League title for the second consecutive time!

At this moment, Gutmann was Benfica's god.

After winning two top honors in a row, Guttmann felt he had made a huge contribution and went to the club's management to say, "Boss, you need to pay more and renew my contract."

result,

The management felt the credit belonged to the team, and that the coach shouldn't be so arrogant, so they rejected his request!

Old man Gutmann is no pushover; his temper flared up immediately.

He immediately announced his resignation, leaving behind one of the most famous curses in football history:
“Not in a hundred years from now will Benfica ever win a European Cup!”

"For the next hundred years, Benfica will never be European champions again!"

After saying this, the old man turned and left, concealing his achievements and anger.

Since then,

Benfica FC seems to have been strangled by fate, embarking on an incredibly tragic "runner-up collection journey":
They can make it to the finals, but they'll never win.

They had reached the European finals six times before, and lost all six!

Benfica tried various mystical methods to break the curse, including placing a bronze statue of their late, highly successful manager, Guttmann, at the stadium entrance in an attempt to seek forgiveness.

Useless.

Before the 1990 final, legendary star Eusebio even went to Guttmann's grave to pray that he would spare the team.

In the end, they still lost.

Before every final, fans perform various blessing ceremonies, but the ending is always the same—"It's the curse!"

It's really weird!
And now, this is their seventh time reaching the European final.

The Bastia players are now desperately hoping that there is some kind of magic in this world.

Amidst laughter, the group bid farewell and went their separate ways.

After arriving at the dormitory, Gaio had some free time. He first checked his winning points, which were currently 35.

The main reason was winning against Chelsea, which added 30.

Compared to the two or three points added per game in Ligue 1, this thirty points is really great.

Gaio then called Pierre and asked him to prepare for a meeting with Saudi representatives the following day.

Gaio was well-prepared for this meeting.

He had his own plans, and with his experience from later generations, he also knew what Saudi Arabia wanted.

Their collaboration was not a difficult task.

It's a two-way street.

the next day.

French media outlets have showered Bastia, the only French team still representing France in European competitions, with praise!

L'Équipe published an article much earlier—

When the referee blew the final whistle, the scoreboard at Thessaloniki Stadium showed 3-0, with an aggregate score of 5-2.

this moment,
Corsica is no longer just an island on the map of France, but one of the centers of European football!

Bastia, the team from the Mediterranean island, crushed Premier League giants Chelsea and marched proudly into the Europa League final. 35 years of waiting turned into a shower of blue confetti and deafening cheers!

And the author of all this epic history is Jan Gaio.

last night,

He is the sole master of the Cesarian stadium.

With an unparalleled individual performance, he perfectly exemplified the concept of "one man carrying the team": a game-changing rebound goal, a deadly assist that tore through the defense, a penalty kick under immense pressure, and repeated sprints that tormented Chelsea's entire defense to the point of collapse, ultimately leading to Ramirez's red card and departure from the field.

All of Benitez's tactical plans against him before the match were reduced to dust in the face of his absolute speed, calm mind and burning fighting spirit.

He is an assassin, an engine, and above all, a soul!
now,

The path to legend is now crystal clear:

Europa League: With Chelsea behind, Amsterdam is close to the final, just one step away from its first European trophy.

Ligue 1: With a 6-point lead and 4 rounds remaining, they are within reach of surpassing Paris Saint-Germain and winning their first-ever Ligue 1 title.

Treble Achievement: The French Super Cup title has been won, and an unprecedented treble legend belonging to the island team is becoming a reality!

From Ligue 2 to the Europa League final, from obscurity to European prominence, Bastia's rise is a pure football fairytale.

And Jan Gaio is the most dazzling king in this fairy tale.

With his own two feet, he shattered the arrogance of money-driven football, proving that dreams, loyalty, and teamwork can still create miracles in this era.

The TIFO at Thessalon Stadium has already predicted: Gaio will open his arms and hold up the outline of the five trophies.

now,

The three towers, now imbued with a tangible blue glow, and the outlines of the last two, await his and his warriors' final, passionate ignition.

Triple Crown Winner!
This is what Bastia fans and French media alike are hoping for in Bastia!

This is also what the Bastia players themselves desire.

The reporting time to the training base was originally 1 p.m., but many players had already arrived at the training base in the morning.

They just can't stay idle.

They felt a surge of passion coursing through their veins; they wanted to compete, to create more and greater miracles.

Gaio did not eat lunch in the team cafeteria after a brief recovery training session in the morning.

He met with the Saudi side at a restaurant in Bastia.

Gaio finally saw the white headscarf.

Hello, Gaio.

(End of this chapter)