When Hadzibegic left the field, he was still muttering under his breath, spewing various curses like "shit" and "f*** referee."
Assistant coach Dominique temporarily became the team's sideline manager.
Before leaving the field, Hadzibegic gave him a few instructions for what to do next—after all, if he didn't say it before being sent off, he wouldn't have another chance.
Ligue 2 regulations state that after a head coach is sent off with a red card, they cannot even enter the locker room.
Hadzibegic's instruction was simple: "Find a chance to put Julien on in the second half."
With both teams having players sent off, Hadzibegic felt the only solution was Julien.
The more space available, the greater the threat posed by Julien's dribbling ability.
Bastia had received three red cards in the first half alone.
Even the commentator was caught off guard: "Bastia has been pushed into a desperate situation."
On Clermont's bench, coach Der Zakarian felt like his emotions were on a roller coaster.
But now the advantage was his.
The situation looked excellent!
In stark contrast, Bastia's substitute bench was shrouded in gloom.
Even Julien was frowning deeply.
The current situation was extremely unfavorable for the team.
Down a man, completely suppressed. No chance for counterattacks whatsoever.
Whether they could even hold the current score was questionable, let alone score a goal.
Julien couldn't help but put himself in the game mentally, wondering what he could do if he went on.
The first half had a four minutes of stoppage time.
But it didn't change the situation.
At the 49th minute, Auguste quickly blew the whistle to end the first half.
He didn't want to continue officiating either—he needed a break.
This half had left him mentally exhausted.
Clermont's players were fine; the game was completely tilted in their favor, and they hoped this situation would continue until the end.
Bastia's players, however, were utterly silent.
Once in the locker room, they cursed the referee.
Hazri and Kahusac specifically apologized to their teammates—their red cards in this match could very well become the root cause of their defeat.
And with upcoming suspensions, they would miss the next match, making things even more difficult for the team.
"None of this was intentional. Everyone wants the team to win. In the second half, we'll all sit back and defend—first, let's hold onto this 2-1 score," Dominique said to the players. "Maolida, you'll need to come off in the second half. We can't afford to have so many attacking players—everyone needs to track back and defend."
"Understood," Maolida nodded. He understood the situation.
With three starting forwards—one sent off with a red card, one being substituted—was the final responsibility falling on David's shoulders?
Unexpectedly, Dominique continued. "David, you need to come off and rest too."
"No problem," David replied. Though he desperately wanted to fight for the team, he understood he had to follow team orders.
Just when everyone thought the team was about to abandon attacking and focus entirely on defense until the end, Dominique continued.
"Julien, go warm up. You're starting the second half. You'll play as a lone striker. You don't need to track back, but when there's a counterattack opportunity, give it everything you've got—and you'll likely have no teammate support. Can you handle it?"
Julien's gaze was determined. "No problem."
"Good. Cinio, you warm up too. We're playing a 5-2-1 formation in the second half."
With that, Dominique showed a piece of paper in his hand.
It was a message Hadzibegic had someone smuggle in—while he couldn't enter the locker room, passing notes was allowed.
Dominique continued outlining the defensive arrangements.
Then everyone gathered in the center of the locker room, forming a circle with hands on shoulders.
Led by Dominique, they shouted in unison.
"Fight, Bastia!!"
Corsica Island, Bastia, 5th Avenue.
In a tavern called Sunset Coffee, curses echoed one after another, audible even from far outside with their distinctive Bastia accents.
"This referee is shit!"
"They clearly don't want us to have any advantage, and those Clermont bastards are really good at acting."
"Hadzibegic is in the stands now—we might be finished in this match."
"Sigh."
Châtaigner and Pierre listened to these voices, shaking their heads helplessly.
Pierre had come to Bastia from Paris for Julien's new contract, and with Bastia's match this afternoon, the two had come to this famous Bastia fan tavern to drink and watch the game.
They hadn't expected this result.
Châtaigner, having had some drinks and feeling heated, said to Pierre. "If I were still playing and encountered this situation, I'd definitely take down two of them!"
His words were overheard by other fans.
Everyone knew Châtaigner.
A fan shouted loudly. "Hey! Châtaigner! Any reinforcements in the winter transfer window? We want to get promoted!"
Châtaigner said proudly. "No need—this season's best signing is already on the team."
"Who?"
Châtaigner waved his hand. "Just wait and see. You'll find out."
Then the red-faced Châtaigner looked at Pierre, pulled out his phone, and showed him a text message. "They told me Julien is going on in the second half."
Pierre perked up.
"Fight!"
"Bastia!!"
Suddenly, Pierre was startled by the tavern's spontaneous chanting.
He looked toward the tavern's central screen.
The second half was about to begin, with players entering the field.
Châtaigner joined in, raising his arms and shouting.
"Fight, Bastia!!"
As Julien walked out of the player tunnel with his teammates, he heard the chanting from the small group of Bastia fans in the away section.
They were roaring.
"Don't be nervous. Play normally and they won't be able to stop you. I'll pass to you when I get the chance," team captain Roten patted Julien's shoulder before kickoff.
Julien nodded.
Tweet!!
The referee blew the whistle to start the second half.
Seeing Julien enter the game, the TV commentator paused and said. "Oh, Bastia has made two substitutions, taking off forwards Maolida and David, and bringing on defender Cinio and forward Julien.
Julien was the hero who helped Bastia reverse the score against Valenciennes a few days ago. He's also a former prodigy. In this situation, can he help Bastia turn around the score?"
When Der Zakarian saw Julien come on, he immediately signaled to his players.
He knew Bastia would likely bring Julien on.
And they were already prepared.
The situation on the field didn't change because of Bastia's substitution.
Clermont continued to dominate.
Only the continuous chants of "Fight, Bastia" from the corner of the stadium persisted.