The road to godhood starting from Ligue 1

Chapter 196 Official Announcement of Contract Renewal
Gaio did not travel with the team to Metz.

He is recuperating in Clairefontaine.

After consulting with the Bastia team doctor, the French national team doctor arranged for Gaio to receive comprehensive treatment at the Clairefontaine Medical Center during the French League Cup break.

The treatment results were very optimistic.

Deschamps breathed a sigh of relief upon learning the result, and Montrezl also clearly emphasized that, based on Gaio's current recovery progress, he should be fully recovered in two weeks at most.

It should be around October 4th.

and,

After missing the French League Cup match, Bastia is fully capable of playing in the match against Nice on September 31, at the request of Gaio himself and after assessment by Montrezl, provided that preventative measures are taken.

Before Gaio was about to return to Bastia, Deschamps made a special trip to see him one last time.

The two had a brief chat.

Deschamps laughed and said, "You're missing a championship this season."

Gaio shrugged and spread his hands. "It's not about losing a championship. That has nothing to do with us. Bastia is not Paris or Marseille. Championships are not a common word here. Staying in the league is."

Deschamps has a slightly better impression of Gaião.

He then spoke about the national team's matches next month, saying, "I will announce the new French national team roster on the 1st, and I plan to call up your teammate, Kanté."

Gaio nodded, knowing his limits in such matters and not saying too much, simply replying, "He is a hardworking and talented player."

The reason why Kanté joined the French national team so late was actually because...

It's not that he lacks ability.

Rather, it is his playing style that determines that his effectiveness in small teams is far less than that in big teams.

Smaller teams actually shine when it comes to Gaio's style of play.

to be honest.

It's all about who shows the most skill; that's who's the best.

Kante is the type of player who doesn't show off, but is extremely important to the team.

This often leads to him being overlooked by scouts with insufficient expertise.

The stronger the team, the more Kante's role will be demonstrated.

Deschamps didn't continue the conversation on this topic and began to say goodbye to Gaio, who had only come to take a look before Gaio left.

"The national team is waiting for you next month. If we can beat Spain, our World Cup journey will be half successful."

"it is good!"

Gaião has a burning passion for the World Cup; if he wants to become the King of Football, the World Cup is something he can never avoid.

Don't say things like "the Champions League is my World Cup".

The Portuguese football king who claimed to be number one, two, and three in the world has achieved considerable success in the Champions League, even being called the King of the Champions League. However, when it comes to the title of football king, it doesn't belong to him, simply because his performance in the World Cup was too poor.

Before winning the World Cup, Barcelona's young striker did not have the title of "King of Football".

World Cup.

In the realm of football, it will always be the biggest stage.

Both Pelé and Maradona reigned supreme in the World Cup.

Since the World Cup era, that is, after 1974, no national team has ever successfully defended its title.

With a surge of talent in the French team right now, Gaio is eager to lead France to become the first team to defend the World Cup trophy, and even considering his own career, a three-peat is not out of the question.

However, in France, to unite the team and work together towards a common goal, you have to play brotherhood football.

Deschamps and Gaio said goodbye.

After reaching the door, he suddenly remembered something and turned to Gaio, saying, "By the way, Gaio, the summer appointment between you and Zinedine couldn't be made because of your injury. He asked me to tell you that he's waiting for you in Madrid."

Deschamps added, "The Europa League."

"Ah."

Gaio nodded. Indeed, due to his leg injury in the summer, coupled with his early contract renewal with Bastia, he did not go to Real Madrid's training ground.

In this Europa League, they will travel to Atletico Madrid's home stadium next month for the third round of the group stage to face last season's Europa League champions, Atletico Madrid.

Deschamps is gone.

That day, Gaio packed his things and sent Mbappe a text message to let him know.

Mbappe has also come to see me these past few days.

It's almost October now, and in just over two months, after Christmas, Mbappe will be planning to leave Clairefontaine and join a professional football club.

Currently, there are no alternative plans in Mbappe's family's schedule.

They felt they had already reached a verbal agreement with Caen and were just waiting for Mbappe to graduate from Clairefontaine before signing a professional contract.

He officially embarked on his professional career.

Gaio returned to the team the afternoon after their elimination from the French League Cup.

At this point, the entire team returned to Bastia from Metz.

Gaio greeted his teammates.

De Bruyne was clearly still reeling from yesterday's defeat; the gap between reality and his ideals left him feeling somewhat frustrated.

The dream of becoming a five-time champion has ultimately been shattered.

Seeing his condition, Gaio said, "Winning that most important championship will be enough to secure your place in Bastia's football history."

For Bastia right now, the most important titles are just two – Ligue 1 and the Europa League.

Both are very difficult.

De Bruyne didn't say much, but turned to ask about Gaio's condition, "How are you?"

Gaio smiled and said, "I'm almost fully recovered, and I should be fine for the game at the end of the month."

"Don't force your way onto the stage. We've had more than a week of rest, we're not afraid of Nice."

De Bruyne kept reminding Gaio because he knew that Gaio was the same kind of person as him, both of them would do anything to win.

De Bruyne has often thought that if he gets injured one day, but the team needs him, he might play even with pain-relieving injections.

But he didn't want Gaio to do that.

"I just want to bring Bastia a Champions League qualification. The team has never had a Champions League experience before, and I want to accomplish this goal for the team before I leave."

As Gaio spoke, De Bruyne looked at him.

Gaio met De Bruyne's eyes and nodded at him.

De Bruyne still asked the same question, "Back to Chelsea?"

Gaio gave the same answer: "There's no place for me there."

De Bruyne didn't ask any further questions, and half-jokingly replied, "Hopefully we'll have the chance to play together again in the future."

"Will do."

Then, when Gaio saw Chatham arrive at the training ground, he quickly said goodbye to De Bruyne and walked towards Chatham.

Today, Chatham and Gaio made a major decision.

Contract renewal.

"How are you feeling?" Chatham asked with a smile.

Seeing his expression, Gaio knew that there were no problems with the signing.

"It's alright, it won't interfere with the game."

"You must pay attention in the upcoming games. Your health is more important than anything else. Don't try to get the ball if you can't get it, and don't force it if you can't get a strong pass," Chatham kept nagging.

Come to the office.

Jerónimí was there too, along with a lawyer.

During Clairefontaine's recovery period, Gaio, Pierre, and Chatham have had in-depth discussions regarding contract renewals.

Both parties are very keen to renew the contract.

The process was smooth.

Chatham returned to Bastia with the agreed-upon details and spoke face-to-face with Jerónimí.

just now.

Jerónimi shook Gaio's hand and, after a warm greeting, said, "You will be a totem for Bastia. Every match you play for Bastia is creating Bastia's history. I am very happy that we have you."

All documents are ready.

The lawyer kept checking for potential loopholes in the contract, and Gaio also took the time to review it again.

no problem.

Gaio will renew his contract with Bastia for another five years. Both parties have agreed to terminate the original contract and begin the new contract on October 1st.

Annual pre-tax salary of three million euros.

This is already the highest salary level in Ligue 1.

of course,

This is the highest salary in Ligue 1, excluding Paris Saint-Germain.

Paris Saint-Germain's current salary level is roughly equivalent to that of all other teams in Ligue 1 combined.

Ibrahimovic's annual pre-tax salary is around 15 million euros.

D. Silva also earns an annual salary of approximately seven to eight million euros.

Lavezzi, who transferred from Napoli, also earns an annual salary of six to seven million euros.

All I can say is that Paris Saint-Germain really spends money to poach players.

Even head coach Carlo Ancelotti's annual salary exceeds six million euros.

The top salaries at traditional French Ligue 1 powerhouses like Marseille and Lyon are only around three to four million euros.

Gaio has secured a three million euro contract this time.

but,

Other income—

Firstly, with this signing, he will receive 10% of the total salary, or 150 million euros, as a signing bonus, which will be postponed until the end of this season due to Bastia's current financial problems.

If Gaio transfers, he will receive 20% of the transfer fee. If Gaio fulfills his five-year contract, he will receive a loyalty bonus of 1500 million euros (total salary for five years) at the end of the contract.

The loyalty bonus percentage is very high, generally around 30% for most players and only 50% for top players, but Gaio's 100% bonus is something both sides are aware of, and Gaio will not stay for five years.

Otherwise, even with the current contract and a 100% loyalty bonus, Bastia would still be making a huge profit.

There are also bonuses for goals scored, bonuses for qualifying for the Europa League, bonuses for league rankings, bonuses for qualifying for the Champions League, and individual honors such as the Golden Boot in league and European competitions.

In addition,

Gaio has obtained 100% portrait rights, and the club can use it for free without using it for commercial purposes.

There are also some other supplementary benefits, such as the team covering all of Gaio's daily expenses during his time with the team. Finally, there is a buyout clause.

The base release clause is €8000 million, but it is only applicable to teams outside of France.

If the buyer is a French Ligue 1 team, the release clause will increase by 20% (reaching 96 million).

In addition, installment payments may be allowed if the buyer has Champions League eligibility.

Bastia's offer of this contract demonstrates their sincere commitment.

You could even say they were gambling.

This is the biggest contract in Bastia's history, both in terms of total contract value, bonuses, and other related benefits.

If Gaio has a problem.

This would be a poisoned contract that could bankrupt Bastia.

But Jerónimí signed his name without hesitation.

Following the lawyer's instructions, Gaio continued to sign documents and perform other similar actions.

Until all procedures are completed.

Jeronimi, Chatham, and Gaio clasped hands together.

Jerónimí, the owner of this used car company, is full of ambition at this moment.

"You're the biggest contract I've ever signed, Gaio. I look forward to seeing you continue to create miracles in Bastia!"

Chatham chimed in, "Now, walking down the streets of Bastia, no one is unaware of the name Gaio; your name is everywhere in the graffiti."

Even among the children on the street, there are jokes circulating: "A child was walking past some graffiti when he suddenly tripped and fell. Do you know why?"

Everyone shook their heads.

Chatham laughed, "Because the graffiti the child walked over was Gaio, the child was knocked over."

"Hahaha!"

Jerónimín burst into laughter.

Gaio was also somewhat helpless about these jokes. He had to admit that in his previous life, he knew that many people liked to make jokes about breasts.

but,

When it comes to the most skilled at flattery, the French are the best.

For example, "Why were baguettes issued to the French army? Because they were longer than German bayonets, so they didn't need to fight hand-to-hand; they could be left to harden after three days and used as anti-tank posts; and most importantly, they were needed as flagpoles to wave the white flag when surrendering."

9 month 29 number.

At 11:29 AM, Bastia's official website suddenly posted an official announcement—

"After mutual agreement, Bastia and team captain Gaio have renewed their contract for five years, which will last until October 2017."

Since joining the first team in the 2011/12 season, Gaio has quickly become a key player in Bastia's squad.

In the 2011/12 season, he delivered impressive statistics in multiple competitions:

French Cup: 8 goals and 3 assists led the team to victory, becoming double champions that season;
Ligue 2: 19 goals and 3 assists, helping the team to be promoted to Ligue 1, and winning the Ligue 2 Golden Boot award;

At the national team level: Scored 1 goal in a friendly match against England for France U21;
He contributed 4 goals and 1 assist for the national team in the European Championship, becoming the best player, best rookie, and top scorer of the tournament.

He scored a total of 3 goals and 2 assists in friendly matches against Uruguay and in the 2012 World Cup qualifiers, demonstrating his all-around ability on the international stage.

In the 2012/13 season, Gaio continued his hot streak:
French Super Cup: Two crucial goals helped the team win their first-ever title;
Ligue 1 (4 appearances in the first 6 rounds): 8 goals and 3 assists, the best efficiency in the team;
Europa League (1 appearance): 2 goals, contributing to the team's European campaign.

The legend continues.

This news instantly caused a stir in the small city of Bastia.

The Bastia fans were incredibly excited upon hearing the news, even happier than if they had won the game!
"Haha, everyone says our summer signings were spot on, but we have to admit, these are our strongest signings yet!"

I love you, Gaio!

"Oh my god, when I saw this news, I was wondering if it was true or not, but I didn't expect it to be true."

"Looking at Gaio's stats, to be honest, there's no player in Bastia's history who's better than him. Although the team hasn't revealed the details of the contract, I hope they can give Gaio a big contract that matches his value."

soon.

The media quickly followed up, conducting interviews with the team's management.

Jerónimín emphasized: "Gaião's contract extension is a sign of the team's stable development. We expect him to become a top attacker in Ligue 1 and even European football in the future, and lead Bastia to write a new chapter in history."

Chatham said, "Gaio is a core member of Bastia's rebuilding plan. His versatility, clutch performance, consistency, and loyalty to the team perfectly align with our long-term vision."

Whether it was leading the team to promotion to Ligue 1, winning the French Cup and lifting the double, or his breakthrough performance in the Europa League, he proved that he is a trustworthy leader for the team.

We long for him and Bastia to create new miracles together.

As for Gaio himself, he did not give an interview.

This is his consistent style.

but,

While the signing of Bastia was being widely discussed outside, the players inside simply congratulated Gaio.

He then moved on to the next Ligue 1 match.

They will face French Ligue 1 powerhouse Nice away on the 31st.

Nice is located in Nice, the administrative center of the Alpes-de-France department.

Founded in 1904, it is a long-established and powerful team in Ligue 1.

Nice's most glorious period was in the 1950s, winning the Ligue 1 title in 1951 and 1952, and then winning it again in 1956 and 1959, reaching the pinnacle of the team's history.

However, Nice has experienced significant fluctuations in recent years.

In the 2010-11 season, they finished 17th in the league and narrowly escaped relegation. In the 2011-2012 season, they were also in the relegation zone and narrowly avoided relegation.

After six rounds of Ligue 1, the team is currently in 13th place with 7 points, only 4 points behind Bastia.

At the beginning of the season, the gap between the teams was not that big.

Except for Marseille.

Marseille currently boasts a perfect record of six wins in six rounds, with 18 points, leaving the pack far behind.

They lead second-placed Lyon by 4 points.

It's worth noting that Bastia, ranked 4th, is only 4 points ahead of Nice, ranked 13th.

Marseille is a very prestigious award.

Currently.

It will be difficult for Bastia to catch up with Marseille, as they are a full 7 points behind. They will have to wait for Marseille to slip up and defeat Marseille in a direct confrontation.

Leaving aside winning the Ligue 1 title, Bastia aims to qualify for next season's Champions League.

We must at least get third place.

The top two teams in Ligue 1 currently qualify directly for the Champions League group stage, while the third-placed team plays in the Champions League play-offs.

30 number.

Hagi Begic held a pre-match press conference.

Reporters naturally started by asking Hagi Begic about Gaio's contract renewal.

After all, this has been a hot topic of news these past two days.

Hagi Begic laughed, "He is the 'master key' to tactics. When we need to break the deadlock, the whole team will instinctively pass the ball to Gaio. This trust is earned by his incredible goals."

I must admit that Bastia cannot do without Gaio right now. His willingness to stay in Bastia is a win-win situation, and I'm happy for him, as are everyone in Bastia.

The reporters asked Gaio a lot of questions.

Only then did they let Haji Begichi go.

But then he turned to ask Rothen, who was also present at the press conference.

Rothen said, "Without Gaião, it would have been very difficult for us to win the title last season, or even possible, and we wouldn't have qualified for the Europa League. We all know that we are more confident when Gaião is on the field."

Reporters asked very few questions about the match itself.

Hagi Begic's statement was simple: he would do his best to avoid relegation.

Reporters are already immune to the word "survival." They're already fourth in the league, what's the point of fighting relegation?
Europa League team, fighting relegation?

Haji Begitch dares to say it, but they don't dare to write it down in a report, because no one would believe it if it were published.

Last season, Hagi Begic made these remarks, and in the end, Bastia won the double championship.

Reporters were afraid that this season, Bastia would once again avoid relegation in this way, and end up becoming champions.

the other side.

Claude Pierre, Nice's newly appointed head coach during the summer transfer window, was also asked by reporters, "Have you made any specific plans to counter Gaio?"

Pierre laughed, "We've made special arrangements for every single person in Bastia. They're very strong, and we dare not relax our guard in the slightest."

Regarding this head coach

The reporters actually felt that his appointment to coach Nice was somewhat of a condescension.

Previously,

Nice has long struggled to avoid relegation, and Pierre, a championship-winning coach who has managed teams such as Monaco, Lille, and Lyon, is a perfect fit for Nice – a case of "a small temple inviting a great Buddha".

However, Pierre is indeed capable.

At least Nice's performance at the start of the season is much better than in the previous two seasons.

of course,

It's still quite a distance from their best start in team history.

自从1994年法甲实行3分制后，只有2支球队在联赛11轮过后拿到29分以上，除了尼斯（29分），就是2006-2007赛季的里昂（31分）。

At least Nice's current fans have full confidence in Pierre.

Pierre proved himself with his resume.

He is a team-building head coach who spends a particularly long time at each club.

During his playing career, he only played for one club, Monaco.

He joined Monaco's first team in 1978 and made 597 appearances for Monaco.

He played for a full 18 years.

He then retired from Monaco in 1996.

He then honed his coaching skills in Monaco's youth academy before officially taking charge of Monaco's first team in 1999.

After two years of coaching, he went to Lille and stayed there for six years.

He then spent another three years in Lyon.

Now we've arrived in Nice.

(End of this chapter)