The road to godhood starting from Ligue 1

Chapter 332 The Path to Godhood Begins in a Fallen Heroic Family
Gaião's understanding of Liverpool comes from that eternally passionate German, though he's currently at Dortmund.

This season is a transitional one for Liverpool, a time to say goodbye to the past, embrace the future, and explore a new identity amidst growing pains.

In the summer of 2012, Rodgers replaced club legend Kenny Dalglish, becoming the second youngest manager in Liverpool's history at the age of 39.

He brought with him the "possession and passing" philosophy that had worked so well at Swansea, which the media jokingly called "religious possession," to Anfield with the mission of rebuilding the team.

Upon taking office, Rodgers attempted to instill his football philosophy into the team.

At the beginning of the season,
He tried his best to promote possession-based football in the backfield, but the players were unfamiliar with the execution, resulting in a sluggish start and only 2 points in the first 5 league rounds.

The team frequently dominated possession but failed to convert it into victories, exposing their fatal weakness of lacking attacking firepower.

Liverpool's performance this season looks like it's been on a downward spiral.

Liverpool's elimination in the FA Cup by Oldham Athletic, who were eventually relegated from League One, was a huge upset and one of the season's most humiliating defeats.

This is also the first season since Liverpool's partnership with Adidas ended. Last year, the two sides did not have a good chance to renew their contract, as Adidas felt that Liverpool's performance was poor and they were not worth the high price.

Adidas CEO Herbert Hainer stated, "We believe that Liverpool's demands and their performance were not in the right balance. There was a significant gap between their performance on the pitch and the level they should be at, which affects public appeal, television exposure, and merchandise sales. There should be a balance between what you offer and what you receive. We believed that Liverpool's demands were incorrect, and we gave them a negative response. That's the end of the story."

then,

Starting from the 2012-13 season, Warriors Sports took over, which is a brand under the NB Group.

Whether it's being eliminated from the FA Cup by a relegated League One team, the poor league performance at the beginning of the season, or Adidas' decision to abandon Liverpool, in the eyes of many fans, this is Liverpool continuing to slide into the abyss.

Rumors about Rogers' dismissal were rampant at one point.

but,

Someone stepped forward.

Suarez.

He was an angel, scoring 23 league goals without a single penalty, almost single-handedly carrying the team's attack.

His dribbling, creativity, and tireless running are Liverpool's main sources of threat.

He is a devil too.
Just last month, on the 20th, during a match against Chelsea, he bit the arm of Chelsea defender Ivanovic, a horrifying act that resulted in him being banned for 10 matches by the FA.

Ivan complained to the referee that the way he bit me was like gnawing on a pig's trotter!
This is not the first time Suarez has bitten someone during a match.

On November 23, 2010, during a match between Ajax and PSV Eindhoven, he got into an argument with PSV player Bakar and bit his left shoulder, resulting in a 7-match suspension from the Dutch Football Association.

Of course, Gaio was aware of this as well.

This was not the last time Suarez bit someone.

In the original timeline, poor Chiellini was verbally abused during the World Cup. At the time, many Liverpool fans felt that Suarez no longer wanted to stay at Liverpool and wanted to transfer to his beloved Barcelona, ​​so he did this to force Suarez out of the club.

Gaião is unsure whether he will still choose to bite into a coconut if Liverpool is successfully acquired this time, in order to participate in next year's World Cup.

This night,
Bastia's Ligue 1 title win sparked countless discussions throughout France.

Paris Saint-Germain's failure to win the championship for two consecutive years has sparked more discussion about money-driven football.

the next day.

The Bastia players only arrived at the training ground in the afternoon; they celebrated for a very long time last night.

Gaio got up early in the morning and started a simple warm-up workout.

and,

This morning, the Saudi side called him to inform him that they were likely going all out to acquire Liverpool.

Aston Villa have no intention of selling at the moment, while Newcastle's owner, Ashley, is asking for an exorbitant price.

Newcastle are already on the verge of relegation, yet they're asking for £450 million.

Ashley knew early on that he simply didn't have enough funds to compete with Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal, and Chelsea, so he opted not to invest.

Media reports suggest that "perhaps he simply wants to keep Newcastle in the Premier League and then put them up for sale when the time is right."

In fact, Ashley's desire to find a buyer has never disappeared. As early as September 2008, due to strong protests from fans against Kevin Keegan's resignation, Ashley first had the idea of ​​making a clean getaway.

In the years that followed, rumors of the magpie changing hands continued to emerge.

However, Ashley's offer was clearly not a genuine offer to sell.

Saudi Arabia revealed that Fenway Sports Group accepted a price of approximately £7 million.

This is double the price Fenway Sports Group paid when they acquired Liverpool.

It's no wonder that Fenway Group was tempted; doubling its value in three years is such a lucrative business!

Another point is that Saudi Arabia revealed that Fenway Sports Group hopes to cooperate with Saudi Arabia in acquiring an NBA team, as Fenway Sports Group still wants to have a presence in the American sports market.

For example, the Kroenke family, which owns Arsenal, acquired the Nuggets.

Fenway Sports Group's financial resources are somewhat strained, but now that Saudi Arabia has come along, they are thinking of using the sale of Liverpool to gain an ally to enter the NBA.

Gaio clearly hadn't expected this turn of events.

He checked online and found that Fenway Sports Group had also offered a "friendship price" in 2011, allowing James to purchase a 2% stake in the team for $650 million.

Liverpool owner John Henry values ​​James' influence and hopes to leverage James' fame to increase the team's exposure.

However, all of that is too far removed from his current thoughts; he is only focused on Liverpool completing the acquisition as soon as possible.

Gaio also set himself a small goal: to rise from a fallen powerhouse to the top of Europe!
Reaching the pinnacle of the world!

After Pelé and Maradona, Zidane was the man who came closest to the title of King of Football, but unfortunately he fell short. Now, he is eager to challenge and surpass this title in his career!
Gaio then took a look at his own panel.

【盘带（+1）：90（95）；传球：82（85）

射门（+1）：86（88）；头球：44（63）

速度（+1）：75（76）；力量：75（77）

弹跳：65（72）；体能（+1）：83（85）

Defense: 33 (40); Steals: 25 (33)

柔韧（+1）：70（71）；球感：91（95）

Hidden attributes:
Injuries: 67

This is his confidence!
in the afternoon.

As the team's training session came to a close, Hagi Begic gathered the players together.

A sea breeze swept across the Bastia training ground, and in the distance, the flags celebrating the Ligue 1 title could be seen fluttering. His gaze swept over every face, both tired and excited.

At this moment, the old-fashioned coach became serious again, which seemed somewhat disappointing.

"I know that the past ten hours have been the most glorious moment of many of our careers. The taste of champagne is still on our lips, and the cheers are still echoing in our ears. You deserve all of this. You have made history."

But now, I ask you to lock that ecstasy and glory away in your lockers.

We are nothing now, we have nothing at all. We are just a bunch of pathetic wretches who have nothing and crave victory just to survive!

"Yes!"

As Haji Begichi finished speaking, Gaio and his teammates roared in response.

Haji Begitch didn't say anything more and simply called for the team to disband.

The players scattered.

Haji Begichi stood there, watching them leave one by one.

This is the final battle.

He felt a pang of reluctance, reluctant to part with these children and their talents.

Hagi Begic has to admit that this Bastia team is the strongest he has ever managed.

Despite his young age, he is incredibly talented.

Otherwise, how would they have managed to snatch the championship from Paris?

call.

Haji Begichi let out a breath, turned and walked towards his office. Life is always about parting, and he could only do what he was supposed to do to give these children a perfect farewell.

Benfica?
"Let's see if you can beat Chelsea."

After leaving the training ground, the Bastia players went their separate ways; some went home, some returned to their dormitories, and some met up with friends to celebrate. Just as the season was coming to an end, they went their separate ways.

As the sun sets, it paints the Mediterranean Sea off Bastia in a warm golden hue.

Gaio, De Bruyne, and Rothen walked silently along the beach, the waves gently washing over their footprints.

Rotten bent down and picked up a seashell that had been smoothed by the seawater. He looked at it in the sunset and exclaimed, "Time flies! It feels like just yesterday I was taking you two for the first time on this path, and now we're almost at the end."

De Bruyne kicked at the sand, feeling a bit stifled. He simply said, "Yeah, I'll be at Chelsea next month, so it'll be hard to find another chance to go down this road."

Gaio looked at the fishing boats returning to shore on the sea and smiled. "Then record the sound of the sea in Bastia and take it with you, Kevin. When you're in Cobham, play it out for a while." He smiled slightly. "Just imagine that Bastia is still with you."

Rothen put the seashell in his pocket. "I brought it for my daughter," he said, then clapped his hands. "I'm finally at peace. You all know I probably won't play anymore. I'll just open a small bar by the sea and watch you guys on TV every day. I hope Kevin becomes the core of Chelsea; and you, Young, go to some big club and become king?"

“I would sit behind the bar and tell everyone who came in for a drink: ‘See those two guys? They used to be my teammates!’”

Gaio and De Bruyne shook their heads in unison; the scene seemed both cruel and beautiful.

They all know that as professional players, they will inevitably experience various partings, and they will eventually leave the football field.

Become a spectator below.

A salty sea breeze blew by, and the three of them fell silent for a moment.

De Bruyne suddenly stopped in his tracks. "Next week in the Netherlands, it might be the last time, the last time the three of us will play together like this."

He was telling the truth. After two consecutive away games in the league, Hagi Begic had already said he would make a big roster overhaul to give opportunities to substitute players who haven't had much playing time this season.

For example, Vincent van der Rohe, Klose, and so on.

From the team's perspective, since all of these players are going to leave, it would be better to scout out available players for next season in advance.

Gaio turned to face them, his gaze intense. "Then let this last time be one that no one can forget."

He stretched out his hand.

"It's not for the championship, it's not for the record, it's just for this beach, for the days we've spent together."

Rothen pressed his palm down heavily, his rough palm warm and firm. "For these, it's worth taking down the whole of Europe."

De Bruyne also placed his hand on top, shouting, "Crush Europe!"

Amid the sound of the waves, the three people's hands were tightly clasped together.

The setting sun in the distance was sinking below the horizon, casting long shadows of them, as if to imprint this final moment together on the beach of Bastia.

But the paintings on the beach will eventually disappear.
Time flies.

The sea breeze in Bastia still carries the joy of the French Ligue 1 champions.

But the Europa League final is about to begin.

Unlike the Champions League final, which is held at the end of the month, almost all league matches are played after they have finished.

The Europa League takes place in mid-May.

As the first European tournament final, it still attracted a lot of attention from fans.

Bastia's experience this season, in particular, has been nothing short of legendary!
5 month 14 number.

The entire Bastia team traveled to Amsterdam, the Netherlands, to visit this beautiful and livable city.

But this time, no one in Bastia was paying attention to the city; their minds were only on tomorrow night's match.

Whether it will be a perfect ending for the double champions or a failure, we'll see in tomorrow night's 90 minutes or 120 minutes.

In the afternoon, at the pre-match press conference.

Haji Begitch sat at the press conference, facing a room full of reporters, his expression as calm as a windless Mediterranean afternoon.

He answered many questions.

When asked about Benfica's "Gutmann curse," he leaned forward slightly and tapped his finger lightly on the table.

“We respect Benfica; they have a glorious history and respectable fans. But tomorrow’s final in Amsterdam will be a contest of the limits of the will, tactics, and execution of the 22 players on the field, not the historical chronicles of the two clubs or any off-field legends.”

"Bastia's story itself is considered 'impossible' by many. A team from a small island, with a group of players exiled by big clubs, has made it all the way here. For us, the so-called 'curse' or 'magic spell' is just a routine waiting to be broken."

"If there is any curse, it is the consequences of underestimating Bastia."

"We don't fight against other people's curses; we come to write our own history. Benfica is thinking about how to end the curse, while we are thinking about only one thing: how to make Europe remember our name in 95 minutes."

"There are no favorites in the final, only desire, and our desire runs deeper than the Mediterranean Sea!"

(End of this chapter)