Darryl Bakola

Darryl Bakola (born 30 November 2007) is a French professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for club Sassuolo.

Club career Born in Clichy, Île-de-France, Bakola is a youth product of Racing, Red Star and Marseille. With the latter, he was central in their winning the 2024 Coupe Gambardella, their first title in the junior cup since 1979. During this victorious campaign, they knocked out the likes of Senny Mayulu and Ethan Mbappé's Paris or Mathis Lambourde and Aboubakar Nagida's Rennes, amongst others.

He also started featuring in the first team squad under Gennaro Gattuso during the 2023–24 season. he signed his first professional contract with Marseille, soon after his friend Enzo Sternal signed his.

After making several bench appearances in 2024, without playing, as youngster struggled to find game time under De Zerbi, Bakola made his professional debut with Marseille in a 5–1 Ligue 1 win over Le Havre AC on 5 January 2025.

On 2 February 2026, Bakola signed with Sassuolo in Serie A.

International career Born in France, Bakola also has Republic of the Congo origins. He is a youth international for France, having played for the under-17.

Career statistics