Since the arrival of Fabio Grosso on the Sassuolo bench, the Neroverde club has had one of its strongest seasons in recent years. In the season standings, Sassuolo occupies a comfortable place at the top of the mid-table, displaying a balanced record with ten wins, five draws and eleven defeats, which earns them a ninth place at a glance in Serie A. A position which testifies to a newfound stability for a promoted team often fighting for maintenance in recent campaigns. On the offensive side, the Neroverdi have scored 32 goals, with Domenico Berardi leading the front with seven goals, while Armand Laurienté stands out as the main creator with five assists. This offensive efficiency, combined with an overall solid defense, allowed Sassuolo to achieve important results, notably victories against Udinese (2-1) and Hellas Verona (3-0) in the last few days, despite a heavy defeat at home against Inter (0-5). The club’s current dynamic can also be explained by strong tactical cohesion and judicious rotation choices made by Grosso. The Italian technician was able to find a balance between experience and youth, by integrating complementary profiles and maintaining a clear playing identity: a fluidized 4-3-3 which focuses on the mobility of the midfielders and the altruism of the wingers.
In this logic, Sassuolo has, for example, been able to contain more upscale opponents on paper, as in the draw against AC Milan last December where the team showed resilience and efficiency in the last gesture. In this context, the team was able to take advantage of its opportunities, while remaining competitive in most of its confrontations, which illustrates a clear progression compared to previous seasons where maintenance was all the concerns. In this sense, with this positive dynamic, management wanted to focus on smart additions during the last winter transfer window, marked in particular by the arrivals of Ulisses Garcia and Daryl Bakola from OM. “ We welcome another promising young player, Bakola. I am satisfied with these arrivals, but also with the current squad. I always try to help my players progress. With young players, the room for improvement is enormous, and I am delighted to be able to count on these four players. Together we will try to repeat our successes. We acquire skills that we lacked. I’m happy with Ulisses, who joins Doig “. The connection between Sassuolo and OM still seems to make people happy in Italy after the departure of Ismaël Koné.
Garcia already involved, Bakola in the incubator but…
At the heart of this positive season, Ulisses Garcia is starting timidly, but with encouraging signs. Starting his first match against Inter, the Swiss full-back came on to strengthen the left flank, before starting against Udinese, where he delivered a solid performance punctuated by an assist, proof of his ability to contribute offensively when called upon. “ He has just arrived and we are getting to know him better: he is an experienced player, having won numerous titles. I even faced him a few years ago in the Swiss championship. He has great qualities, just like his teammates. The match starts today, but I have full confidence in all the players who are on the bench and therefore they are ready to come on “, declared Fabio Grosso in a recent press conference. In the first minutes of play he has played so far (around 155 minutes in total), Garcia has shown a willingness to participate in the construction and balance of the team, despite a lack of rhythm, which is understandable for a player still adapting to Serie A and Grosso’s system.
As for Darryl Bakola, the young French nugget trained at OM, his integration into Sassuolo embodies the club’s bold policy in terms of developing young talents. Arriving for an amount of around 10 million euros in February, Bakola has not yet made his debut in Serie A, remaining for the moment further back in the group’s rotation. But its internal beginnings are nonetheless considered positive. “ It is still in development. We need to test him to understand his characteristics, but he has the potential to become a great player. He has personality and knows how to play football. He’s a promising player, and we’re excited to have him and develop him. For the moment, he plays as an attacking midfielder. He can play in different positions, but only time will tell. He is still too young to be confined to a specific role. We will better understand its characteristics and how to best exploit it », added Grosso on the young French player. However, his development is being closely followed by observers: the 18-year-old creative midfielder already has professional experience at OM, where he made several selections for the young French teams and climbed the ranks before his transfer.
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Same story within management where Bakola enjoys total confidence. Although his minutes are still limited, Minot appears regularly on the scoresheets and could be asked to play a more important role in the weeks to come, particularly if Grosso wishes to inject more creativity into the midfield or respond to absences in the squad. “ We think he is really very strong: he is very young, but already has a lot of experience. The idea is that he matures over the next few months and performs well next season. Bakola’s recruitment was made possible thanks to the teamwork of Carnevali, which involved, in addition to the CEO himself, sporting director Francesco Palmieri and recruitment manager Davide Cangini. A recruiter spotted this young man », Detailed Giovanni Carnevali, general director of Sassuolo. Far from the tumult of the Vélodrome and the azure sky of the Mediterranean, Darryl Bakola and Ulisses Garcia have found a new lease of life in Emilia-Romagna. Under the leadership of Fabio Grosso, the two former OM players rediscover the simple pleasure of the game, in a more discreet setting, but just as passionate. In Sassuolo, the green and black suits them well with less noise, more confidence, and already the feeling of having found fertile ground to write a new chapter.
