Alberto Aquilani, Sassuolo's head coach, singled out 18-year-old midfielder Darryl Bakola by name in his post-match assessment following the neroverdi's 2-1 defeat away against Maurizio Sarri's Atalanta on August 23 — a pointed gesture from a coach who had just absorbed his first Serie A loss of the 2026-27 season.
That Aquilani chose to mention Bakola specifically, rather than deflect into collective responsibility, is the detail worth examining. A coach under early pressure does not typically spend public capital on an 18-year-old unless he believes the investment will return something. The comment lands as a statement of intent.
Bakola's numbers from that Atalanta fixture support the attention. He carried a 7.20 average rating out of the defeat — a score that, in the context of a side that conceded twice and left Bergamo pointless, suggests he was among the cleaner performers on the night. He did not score and did not register an assist in Serie A, but a rating above seven in a losing effort is not a number a coach ignores.
The broader picture is of a player whose ceiling is still being mapped. Bakola holds an AI potential score of 78 out of 100 against a current overall of 69 — a gap that represents genuine room for development rather than flattery. He also contributed an assist in Coppa Italia competition this season, though those minutes came outside Serie A and outside Sassuolo's current setup, so the context differs.
Sassuolo sit 12th after one match, with one defeat and one goal scored. Aquilani's side needs points quickly, and the coach's public endorsement of Bakola signals he expects the midfielder to be part of how they find them.