Because Bastia had been relegated quite severely in recent seasons due to financial problems, many players on the team had no real concept of the upcoming Corsican derby.
Julien was the same. But when they boarded the team bus and left the training facility, seeing the Bastia fans gathered at the gate, they gradually understood that this match was more than just a game: it was Corsica's north-south battle.
Martin waved a flag with a blue background and black Moorish head.
Modoso and others had already gone to Ajaccio. In their words, "Ultras Bastia" needed to go flatten Ajaccio first.
Those remaining were fans who couldn't make it to Ajaccio.
Actually, most Ultras Bastia members who went to Ajaccio couldn't get into the stadium anyway, because the Ajaccio government, worried about fan violence, only gave Bastia fifty away tickets.
"FORZAAAA BASTIAA!"
Seeing the players emerge, the fans had no other words—only this uniform chant.
"FORZAAAAA BASTIAAAA!"
Lukaku loved this feeling of being surrounded by fans. It gave him a sense of achievement. Since coming to Bastia, he'd fallen in love with the place.
Originally, he thought he was just coming to Ligue 1 to pass time and gain experience. After the loan ended, he'd return to Chelsea, that would be his stage.
But the passionate ultras, the chants that made his whole body tingle, and teammates like Julien, everything about Bastia made him happy.
He opened the car window and shouted in the clumsy Corsican he'd learned during this period, "Victory belongs to Bastia!!"
Clap clap clap!
Bastia!!
The fans reacted intensely, clapping loudly while shouting.
Julien and the others also opened their windows, some shouting along with the fans, others waving at them.
The bus driver drove very slowly, barely faster than walking pace. But no fans blocked the way. Everyone stood orderly by the roadside.
Only the never-ending chanting resounded.
Eventually, the bus drove south, carrying Bastia's hopes.
"We have to win!" Inside the bus, Lukaku was like he'd been injected with adrenaline, and looked extremely excited.
Julien smiled and spoke. "Then you need to aim for their goal properly."
Lukaku patted his chest and replied. "Just watch how I wreak havoc in their penalty box. You guys look for opportunities on the perimeter too. We will have absolutely no problem. I've watched Ajaccio, they're not that strong."
Teammates also chimed in one after another.
They understood how important this match was, and precisely because it was important, they would be very cautious.
Up at the front seat, Hadzibegic listened to the players' discussion with a small smile.
As the bus swayed along the road, he looked at the blue sky, thinking of what his daughter had said: "Bastia really is too charming."
Yes, too charming.
This team stirred ripples in Hadzibegic's memories. In the former Yugoslav national team, he and his teammates had also carried such hopes for victory to every match.
Thinking this, Hadzibegic's memories turned bitter.
They could never go back. There was no more Yugoslav national team.
Perhaps when Julien left, when Bastia was on a stable development path, he would leave too.
Bastia to Ajaccio was over a hundred kilometers. Two hours later, they arrived at Ajaccio's home ground.
Stade François Coty.
This stadium wasn't large. After Ajaccio was promoted to Ligue 1 two years ago, they renovated it.
Originally it could only hold 10,000 people; after renovation, it only added 2,000 more seats.
Occasionally, Ajaccio couldn't even fill their home stadium. There was no helping it, Corsica had only 300,000 people total, and divided among several major cities, there weren't many left.
For Bastia to fill a 20,000-seat stadium was already pushing the limit.
Tonight, for the fifth Ligue 1 Corsican derby, Ajaccio tickets were the hardest to buy ever. They sold out within half an hour of release.
If not for Ajaccio's very strict ticket purchase policy, requiring an Ajaccio or surrounding area ID to buy tickets, they might have sold out in minutes.
Bastia fans, just those who came to cheer numbered one to two thousand.
But only fifty could enter the stadium.
Modoso selected members from the ultra-groups who had the most fighting power: loud enough voices, sufficient stamina, and strong fighting ability.
Bastia's largest ultra group was Ultras Bastia, but there were other fan associations too.
Modoso didn't hoard all the tickets for himself, and gave some to other associations as well.
These fifty people were at the very front of the Bastia fan march through Ajaccio's streets.
They had blue club crests painted on their bodies with "Bastia" written on them.
The parade of about two thousand people marched from the train station all the way to Stade Coty.
It was an impressive sight.
They had no other words, and just continuously chanted one slogan: "FORZA BASTIA!!!"
Many waved flags with blue backgrounds and black Moorish heads.
The Moor was a symbol of Corsica's independent spirit. And the blue and black Moor was their Bastia's symbol!!
All along the route, Bastia fans received boos from Ajaccio people.
Even middle fingers. But they didn't clash, because when the Bastia fans got off at the train station and gathered, Ajaccio police had already put them under surveillance.
On both sides, front and back, there were police. Police drove away Ajaccio fans who wanted to start trouble.
They found that their greatest pressure actually came from Ajaccio fans.
Apart from chanting, Bastia fans hadn't been overly provocative.
This was mainly due to a statement Hadzibegic made at yesterday's pre-match press conference: "Hatred begins on the pitch and ends on the pitch."
As Modoso and the others walked toward the stadium, Bastia's team bus also drove in their direction.
Seeing it, their drumming intensified.
Boom!
Boom boom!!
At the same time, their chanting grew louder: ""FORZAAA BASTIA!!!"
The closer they got to the stadium, the more Ajaccio fans there were.
The two sides met.
Ajaccio fans waved flags with red backgrounds and white Moorish heads.
Red-white and blue-black.
Corsican with northern and southern accents intertwined.
Julien watched the confrontation of red and blue colors.
The Derby.
Always made the blood boil!
They got off the bus at the parking lot by the stadium.
Bastia fans' cheers were mixed with Ajaccio fans' boos.
The sound was deafening.
The match hadn't started yet, but the confrontation between both sets of fans had already reached its climax.
Lukaku, who had been full of ambition on the bus about getting a hat-trick, now had a serious expression.
Clearly this scene made the young man somewhat nervous.
"Don't get weak knees later."
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