{
  "id": 4372345,
  "title": "Barcola - the 'grasshopper' who has overcome setbacks",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/30/barcola-the-grasshopper-who-has-overcome-setbacks-4372345",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-30T07:38:07.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "BBC Sport Football",
    "slug": "bbc-sport-football",
    "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/ceqewejnpr3o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Bradley Barcola, nicknamed the \"grasshopper,\" overcame setbacks to become a star player in the Premier League. Born in 2002, Barcola began his football journey on the playing fields of Vaulx-en-Velin. At eight years old, he joined Lyon's academy, where he spent 11 years honing his skills. Unfortunately, his career faced obstacles when he was out of favor at Lyon, eventually moving to St Gallen in January 2023 due to a lack of playing time. A moment of petulance led to his expulsion from the team, but Barcola seized the opportunity to impress Lyon's fans and manager Laurent Blanc, leading to a move to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in May 2023. With PSG, Barcola won two Ligue 1 titles and two Champions Leagues within three seasons. In 2025, Liverpool expressed interest in signing Barcola for £123 million, marking the beginning of his journey to the Premier League. Throughout his journey, Barcola has been supported by his family, particularly his mother, who instilled a passion for football in him. He credits his family for his groundedness, especially during setbacks and criticism. Barcola's achievements include winning three Ligue 1 titles and back-to-back Champions Leagues in his time at PSG, and he broke into the French national team, scoring three goals during their 2022 World Cup campaign.",
  "summary": "As Liverpool agree a £123m deal for Bradley Barcola, BBC Sport looks at how he has ridden triumphs and setbacks to reach the top with the help of his family.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "BBC Sport",
        "title": "Barcola - the 'grasshopper' who has overcome setbacks",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/30/barcola-the-grasshopper-who-has-overcome-setbacks",
        "published": "2026-08-30T07:38:07.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}