Les Bleus did not shine during the Euro despite their presence in the last four. Didier Deschamps also got away with severe criticism, particularly because of the role given to Bradley Barcola, despite being invited to the French team at the last minute. For many observers, his convincing performance against Poland called for more playing time in the high-stakes matches.
If the former Lyon player had to settle for crumbs, his status now seems to have changed, especially after his brilliant start to the season with PSG, with the 22-year-old winger already scoring four goals in just three matches. So much so that taking advantage of the doubts surrounding Marcus Thuram or Randal Kolo Muani, Bradley Barcola is expected to start on the left wing on Friday in the match against Italy.
“He immediately showed what he was capable of”
This expected start for the Parisian number 25 will not surprise his teammates in the French team, current or former. This is evidenced by the comments made by Olivier Giroud, now retired from the French team. The Los Angeles FC player said he was impressed by the arrival in the selection of the Lyon native.
“During the Euro, Bradley was at the table between Antoine (Griezmann) and me, and he was always discreet off the pitch. He’s someone who doesn’t talk much, but that was due to the fact of arriving in the France A team, in a new group. I tried to get him to talk, to get to know him a little better. As soon as you get to know him, he’s very comfortable,” he explained in the columns of
The Team.
“What surprised me about him and about today’s youngsters is that they are very comfortable during the first training sessions. Especially him. He immediately showed what he was capable of, he said. You see the potential then. He still has a lot of room for improvement, but he is already very comfortable dribbling and hitting. His discretion off the pitch is not at all visible on the pitch. And on top of that, he is a good guy.
