Tweet!
The final whistle!
All the Bastia substitutes rushed onto the field and hugged their teammates.
This was Bastia's night!
Behind their excitement lay the disappointment of everyone from Paris.
The contrast was extremely stark!
At the post-match press conference, Hadzibegic's face still bore the flush of excitement.
"Everything that happened tonight is the pinnacle of what these lads and I have dreamed of! At the Parc des Princes, facing a Paris Saint-Germain with Ibrahimović, Beckham, and Thiago Silva, keeping a clean sheet and taking all three points?! This simply exceeded our wildest imagination!
I feel incomparable pride for every single player! From the first minute to the last second, they showed impeccable discipline, iron will, and never-say-die spirit! Our pre-match strategy was solid defense and seize deadly counterattacks which was executed perfectly!
When a reporter asked about Julien he replied,
"Julien? He once again proved why he's Europe's hottest young star! His speed, composure, and killer instinct were the key to breaking the deadlock.
And Van Dijk and Kanté? They were the backbone! Every aerial duel, interception, and command from Van Dijk on the back line was textbook level!
Kanté was everywhere, covering every inch of the pitch, snuffing out countless Paris attacks at their source! This is the ultimate expression of teamwork—everyone bled their last drop of sweat for each other!"
"Are the three points significant? Of course! But more importantly, this victory announces to all of France and even all of Europe: Bastia's place at the top is no fluke!
We deserve this position, and we will fight to the last moment! Now we only need to enjoy this moment, then immediately calm down and prepare for the next match. The road is still long!"
The journalists present were all very surprised by this result.
They continued to fire questions at Hadzibegic.
On the other side:
Ancelotti was similarly surrounded by reporters' questions. His expression was grave but his tone restrained, maintaining his dignity.
"First, congratulations to Bastia—they deserved this victory. Coach Hadzibegic organized his team very well, especially the defensive discipline and tactical execution, which taught us a lesson. Their two goals both came from efficient counterattacks, which is exactly why they're currently at the top of the table.
As for our own performance—frustration and disappointment are obvious. We controlled the match, created many chances, especially in the first half, but completely lacked efficiency. Our final decision-making and precision had serious problems. Against a team that defends so deep, you must convert your advantage into goals, and we failed to do that."
We were clear about De Rocca's threat before the match and emphasized it, but one mistake and he capitalized—that's the ability of a top-class forward. And the second penalty completely took the suspense out of the match. When you dominate possession but are two goals down, and your opponent defends so resolutely, the match becomes very difficult.
"A blow? Yes, losing 0-2 at home to a direct competitor is definitely a heavy blow to our title ambitions, and the gap has widened. But now is not the time for excuses or panic. We need to reflect deeply on why we couldn't score from a position of advantage, why our defense was penetrated by simple yet efficient counterattacks.
The team must learn a heavy lesson from this, refocus our attention, and concentrate on the next match. The season isn't over, but we need to respond immediately, winning back the fans' trust and our position in the table with our performance on the pitch."
Ancelotti's words were, as always, watertight and tactful. However, Paris did not remain calm that night despite his words. Instead, dissatisfaction continued to accumulate.
Most Paris fans cursed him, after all, with such a luxurious squad, they had lost to Bastia!
And at home!
What Paris fans couldn't understand most was that the team had spent one hundred million in the summer window and tens of millions more in the winter window on signings, yet they were still swept in the league by Bastia.
How could anyone make sense of that?
The only thing that could calm Paris fans' anger now was that the team's Champions League advancement prospects looked good, with hope for a breakthrough in Europe.
But even so, some people were chanting "Ancelotti Out" slogans.
And these troubles in Paris naturally couldn't interfere with Bastia.
They stayed in Paris that night, and after getting proper rest, would depart for Bastia tomorrow afternoon.
The next morning.
Julien met with three people: one was his father Pierre, and the other two were guests from Manchester, England.
This was Julien's first formal contact with Manchester City.
"Hello, Julien. I'm Ferran Soriano, Chief Executive Officer of Manchester City Football Club, and this is my partner, Director of Football Txiki Begiristain."
In conversation, Soriano continued, "Last night I was at the Parc des Princes and saw your stunning performance live—it was truly amazing!"
Julien nodded slightly, and after chatting for a few more sentences,
Begiristain formally moved to the main topic.
This was their primary purpose today!
"Julien, I think you know why we came to France. We bring the greatest sincerity and respect from Chairman Mansour and the entire Manchester City team, and we cordially invite you to join Manchester City's most ambitious football project in Europe!
We've watched every one of your matches this season. Your speed, technique, finishing ability, and especially your maturity and decisiveness beyond your years—you're the most crucial piece of the puzzle in Manchester City's future blueprint."
Both Julien and Pierre looked like they were listening carefully.
Soriano also added, "We plan to build a team around you as the core that can dominate the Premier League and challenge for the Champions League title. We greatly admire your style. Chairman Mansour believes you can shine on the highest stages of the Premier League and Champions League.
You must trust us—we absolutely have sincerity!
We'll provide you with a top Premier League salary contract, far exceeding your current income, ensuring you become one of the highest-paid players in world football.
And absolute core status, you'll be the cornerstone of our future plans. Tactics will be developed around your characteristics. After Mancini's contract ends this season, we can even select a coach suited to your style.
You know, the Premier League is the most competitive, most-watched league globally, it's a world-class stage perfect for talented players. The Etihad Stadium will become your new stage, with the most passionate fans and most advanced facilities.
Manchester City has ambition and resources. We'll continue investing, ensuring the team has the strength to compete for all top honors. We'll equip you with the best coaching staff, medical team, and logistics support to help you continue improving and reach or even exceed your potential limits.
Simply put, Julien—Manchester City can offer you everything: a top competitive platform, wealth matching your value, a commitment to building around you, and the opportunity to reach the pinnacle of world football.
We believe Manchester City is your best choice to become the world's best player."
Soriano's tone carried strong confidence. With such conditions, he believed no one in the world could refuse!
His gaze burned as he looked at Julien.
It seemed this transfer could be preliminarily settled at this moment, then it would just be a matter of negotiating contract details and perhaps haggling with Bastia over the transfer fee.
In fact, Soriano hadn't even considered the transfer fee an issue, whatever Bastia asked for, he would agree.
Manchester City's motto was being ridiculously wealthy and not lacking money!
Julien smiled, met Soriano's gaze, and gently shook his head.
Soriano was suddenly stunned.
'Was this... a rejection?'
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