The road to godhood starting from Ligue 1 Chapter 189

The Bastia players, after showering and packing their belongings, boarded the team bus and headed back to the training base.

The players no longer had the excitement they had just moments ago.

Tired.

So tired.

In this match, everyone gave their all, especially the defensive players, who truly expended everything.

Hajibegic turned to look at the players who were already asleep on the bus, a smile playing on his lips.

Many Bastia players might not possess the absolute strength to play in a top league.

But Bastia never lacked spirit.

In a long season, the ultimate winner is not the victor of a single match, but the team that can maintain its composure under the high pressure of one game after another.

As long as that spirit doesn’t falter, the team remains that team.

If it falters.

It falls apart.

When the players returned home, smiles of victory still lingered on their faces.

Tonight, all Bastia residents would celebrate and cheer for this victory.

Kante and Mane currently resided in the training base dormitory. Gayeau, after bidding them farewell, returned to his own dorm.

He washed up and lay on his bed.

He opened his panel.

Since returning from the national team match, he had been hesitating on how to use his victory points.

Tonight, in the match against PSG, he earned 25 points.

He currently had 126 victory points.

After this match, he made up his mind: it was time to raise his attribute limits.

Currently,

Several attributes were nearing their limits.

Dribbling, speed, strength, stamina, flexibility, etc., were all just one or two points away from their maximum.

This indicated that for this body, these attributes were essentially at their peak.

Of course,

His rapid progress was largely due to the targeted training he could undertake after his attributes became visible.

If attributes were not visible,

Who would know where their talent lay?

Perhaps, they might waste too much time in the wrong direction, thus hindering the development of their more talented attributes.

This is why coaches are so important.

Because, to a certain extent, a coach is that “system”; they are responsible for identifying a player’s talent and then guiding it.

Thousand-mile horses are common, but true connoisseurs are not.

The same player can display entirely different abilities under different coaches.

This is the principle.

However, now that Gayeau’s attributes were visible, he could bypass this step directly. He could intuitively perceive his own abilities.

126 points could be converted into 12 attribute limit points.

Of course,

This was limited to attributes below 95. In the system’s judgment, once an attribute limit reached 95, it would require three times the points.

This meant it would take 30 victory points to gain just 1 attribute limit point.

Gayeau thought for a moment.

He decided to improve his stamina, strength, and dribbling.

[Stamina (+ 1): 80 ( 82)

Strength: 69 ( 70)

Dribbling (+ 1): 87 ( 89)]

After some deliberation,

Gayeau made his allocation: Stamina + 3, Strength + 7, Dribbling + 2.

His victory points were back to square one.

This allocation was based on his current match requirements.

Dribbling, needless to say, was a core attribute and needed to be steadily improved. However, since the attribute was already very high, improvement was more difficult, so fewer points were allocated.

But after breaking the 90-attribute barrier, things would be different, so it had to be added.

As for strength, it received the most points because as the intensity of matches increased, Gayeau needed stronger tackling ability.

He couldn’t always rely on Berserk to save the day, could he?

That would also be a huge test for his stamina consumption.

So, he also added three points to stamina.

Of course,

These points only increased the limit; ultimately, he still needed to train continuously.

Speaking of training,

His shoulder injury would delay him for a few more days.

Gayeau felt his shoulder. The team doctor had treated it promptly, and in a static state, the pain was not significant.

He hoped to make it in time for the Europa League.

Gayeau fell into a deep sleep.

That night,

The emotions of Bastia fans surged like the waves of the Mediterranean, ceaselessly.

After the crowd dispersed from the stadium,

Many flocked into various pubs, drinking heavily and venting their excitement.

“Gayeau.”

This once unknown name had completely become a “legend” in the mouths of Bastia residents.

This name was now deeply tied to Bastia.

The painting of Gayeau in the Terra-Vecchia central building.

It would accompany generations of Bastia people.

Every young fan would be told by their parents about everything Gayeau created in Bastia.

And all of this was still ongoing…

The next day,

The sports pages of all French media were dominated by PSG’s first defeat of the season at the Stade Armand Cesari—

“This is not an upset, it’s a burning truth: football has never bowed to ledgers and money, it always belongs to the light in the pupils.”

“Ancelotti’s tactical board was filled with various tactics, runs, and personnel adjustments, while Bastia’s tactical board only had two sentences: defend, and give the ball to Gayeau.”

“The Parisians once again stumbled on Corsica. Last time, they embarrassingly brought back one point from Ajaccio; this time, they gifted Bastia three points.”

“Gayeau, a pure genius. Watching his matches, one will forever be immersed in his creation, his ‘art’… But for Bastia, this match was cruel and brutal. Gayeau left due to injury, and the defensive line’s stamina was greatly depleted. How much strength can they show in their next Europa League away match?”

There were also various statements from renowned figures.

Various post-match analyses.

Some said that PSG lost due to their offense, or due to more personnel changes and unfamiliar tactics.

They lost in the attacking end.

Deschamps, facing reporters’ questions, gave a more incisive answer, “PSG’s failure stemmed from their underestimation of Bastia. Gayeau punished them.”

Yes,

No one would have thought that a defensive line promoted from Ligue 2 could actually stop PSG’s attack, valued at over a hundred million.

Nor would anyone have thought that Gayeau, facing PSG’s defense worth hundreds of millions, would still be as if entering an unmanned territory.

Bastia training base.

Today, the players had no training tasks; their sole tasks were to rest and receive physiotherapy from the team doctor.

Fabretto, holding the X-ray films, told Gayeau, “It’s relatively good news. It’s just a muscle injury, and not a severe one. It might be completely healed in one or two weeks.”

When the results came out, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Hajibegic then asked, “Can he play in the Europa League match the day after tomorrow?”

Gayeau immediately nodded.

Fabretto and the team doctor both shook their heads. The team doctor said, “Forcing him to play might worsen the injury. My advice is to wait until it’s completely healed before playing.”

Hajibegic sighed inwardly.

Bastia, as it was now, truly couldn’t do without Gayeau.

Gayeau, however, continued to insist, “It’s just a minor issue, I’m fine, I can do it.”

Chatham, standing nearby, made the final decision, “Gayeau, you rest well. Your health is more important.

However—”

Chatham changed his tone and looked at Hajibegic, continuing, “We all understand how important the Europa League is. This season, the team has incurred debt for transfers, all for the sake of making a breakthrough in the Europa League.”

He then asked the team doctor, “Are you sure it’s just a simple muscle problem?”

“Yes.”

Chatham nodded, “Bastia has no weaklings. Faruk, put Gayeau on the substitute list. I hope the team won’t need him to play and can still get points away.”

Gayeau approved of this decision.

Hajibegic also nodded.

The matter was settled.

That day,

When Hajibegic gathered the team, he announced the squad list for the away match against Viktoria Plzeň.

Gayeau was on the substitute list.

De Bruyne, seeing Gayeau still wearing muscle tape, frowned slightly, “You’re injured, why are you still on the squad list? You should rest properly and recover. Nothing is more important than your health.”

Gayeau shook his head, “I don’t have a big problem, my condition is still good, my shoulder doesn’t affect me.”

“No, you should rest!” De Bruyne still insisted, not wanting to see Gayeau overexert himself.

During their time together, though they hadn’t conversed much, there was a mutual attraction and recognition between the two geniuses.

Gayeau smiled, “I’m just a substitute. If the team plays well, I won’t come on.”

Only then did De Bruyne nod, “I won’t let you play.”

In his heart, he placed more importance on this match; at the very least, he wanted to create a better situation for Bastia.

To let Gayeau recover in peace.

Even Kante, who was usually silent, on this matter, also hoped Gayeau wouldn’t play, “We will win the match.”

Lukaku even said, “Watch me, I’ll show them what a Bastia Super Cyclone is!”

His goofy demeanor made everyone laugh.

They walked towards the cafeteria, chatting and laughing.

De Bruyne couldn’t help but look up at the September sun in the Mediterranean, hotter than the sun in Cobham.

But it was even “warmer”—this was the atmosphere of Bastia.

This feeling made him somewhat reluctant to return to Chelsea.

He liked this atmosphere.

A group of people, each giving their all for a single goal.

In the match against Paris, after Gayeau left the field, De Bruyne once thought they would lose.

However,

Kante, running tirelessly, Joplin, rushing fearlessly towards the opponent’s ball, Angoula and Cahuzac, who cramped up from running, and Rothen, who stood up for his teammates again and again…

Every person ran a little more, and Bastia was not just one person more than the opponent.

But two, three people more!

Bastia compensated for their technical inferiority with running.

De Bruyne saw Cahuzac vomiting in the restroom after the game, hidden from everyone.

Not to mention the vast majority of his teammates, who felt muscle soreness today.

They had burned out; Bastia had truly burned out.

But it was precisely this atmosphere,

That captivated De Bruyne.

He looked at Gayeau.

He somewhat understood Gayeau’s desire to win the Europa League even with an injury.

For a small team like Bastia,

This Europa League was the highest level of honor they could possibly achieve!

Gayeau didn’t want to lose.

Bastia didn’t want to lose.

De Bruyne was thinking these thoughts, and unconsciously fell behind the group.

Gayeau turned to look at him and called out, “Kevin?”

“Coming.”

De Bruyne smiled; he didn’t want to lose either.

In the afternoon,

Hajibegic gathered all the players again, detailing various aspects of the away match against Viktoria Plzeň.

Viktoria Plzeň.

A Czech team, not currently considered a Czech giant, but a strong contender.

Viktoria Plzeň won the Czech First League in the 2010/11 season with a record of 22 wins, 5 draws, and 3 losses, reclaiming the league title after 51 years, thereby securing a spot in the Champions League qualifiers.

It was then that they truly rose to prominence.

In the qualifiers, they eliminated Neftchi Baku of Azerbaijan with an aggregate score of 5- 2.

In the third round, they defeated Norwegian giants Rosenborg 4- 2 on aggregate.

In the final play-off, they surprisingly eliminated Danish champions Copenhagen with an aggregate score of 5- 2, making history by advancing to the Champions League group stage.

They were eventually drawn into a group with Barcelona, AC Milan, and BATE Borisov.

They finished third in the group, failing to advance.

But this was their biggest European breakthrough in club history!

This season,

Viktoria Plzeň did not qualify for the Champions League but earned a spot in the Europa League qualifiers.

They also fought their way through and successfully entered the Europa League group stage.

For Bastia, a team of this Champions League caliber was definitely not an easy opponent.

One day later,

The entire Bastia team traveled to Plzeň, the capital of the West Bohemian region in the Czech Republic.

As they rode the bus to the hotel, the players even smelled the aroma of beer in the air.

This place has long been known as the “city of beer.”

In the thirteenth century, Plzeň already had a history of brewing beer, passed down through generations until today.

Czechs’ beer consumption even surpasses Germany, famous for its beer, making them the world’s number one.

Among them, the best-selling is “Pilsner Beer,” which is also one of the three famous Czech liquors.

However,

This time, the Bastia players clearly couldn’t taste this local specialty.

After checking into the hotel,

Hajibegic held a pre-match press conference in the afternoon.

Reporters mainly focused on Bastia’s return to the Europa League group stage after many years, as well as Gayeau’s injury and whether he would play in this match.

Hajibegic said, “We never consider reaching the final and being runners-up as an honor; it’s more like a disgrace because we lost. It’s not worth reminiscing about.”

“Returning to the Europa League is exciting for any Bastia fan. It means we can compete against the best teams in Europe and bring more exciting matches to Bastia fans. As for the results, we must face reality; we are just a newly promoted team in Ligue 1. We only hope to do our best.”

“Gayeau’s injury is not serious. Whether he will play in this match still requires a specific evaluation by the team doctor. I am not clear.”

Hajibegic’s statements were relatively low-key and pragmatic.

However, in his evening conversation with the players, Hajibegic’s expression was firm.

“We must get points in tomorrow’s match!”

In Hajibegic’s imagination, this match was a must-win for points.

The strongest team in the group was undoubtedly Atlético Madrid.

Bastia needed to contend for the second-place spot to qualify.

Their direct competitor was Viktoria Plzeň, as the other team, Maccabi Tel Aviv, would be weaker.

Therefore,

This match against Viktoria Plzeň could not be lost!