His name has fueled intense speculation for months, even years. Rayan Cherki, the prodigy of Olympique Lyonnais, was he going to opt for the French team, his native country, or for Algeria, land of its origins? Didier Deschamps' invitation for the Final Four of the League of Nations ended the sports suspense. But she also rekindled the behind -the -scenes debates of this choice, especially after the declarations of the communications manager of the Algerian Federation (FAF), Saïd Fellak, who had said that everything had been done to attract the player. In a long interview granted on a daily basis The team This Monday, Rayan Cherki delivers his version of the facts, and she risks making a few teeth cringe in Algiers.
“No official contact”: Cherki contradicts the FAF!
This is the declaration that weighs heavily and which directly contradicts Algerian communication. Asked about the possibility of joining Algeria or Italy, Cherki is categorical: ” To be frank and sincere, I have never had official contacts with the two selections. “He specifies:” I have never spoken with a coach or a president of another federation, none even tried to join me. An affirmation which throws a cold on the version of the FAF, which suggested efforts sustained to convince him. Cherki only concedes indirect and old contact: “Before I started my career, in 2019, my father was able to meet Djamel Belmadi (…) via a joint friend. Since then, apart from a few players and recently the Algerian physical trainer, the official radio silence.
Rayan Cherki formally denies the version of the FAF
Speech
This media outing by Rayan Cherki sounds like a formal denial to the words of Said Fellak. The FAF representative had nevertheless assured on an Algerian television set that the federation had done its maximum, suggesting that the player had remained insensitive. With its declaration in The teamCherki seems to “return the ball” to the Algerian camp, suggesting that if there were contacts, they were neither direct nor insistent or official to be considered a real attempt to recruitment, contrary to what could have been done in the past for other binationals like Nabil Fekir.
A part of truth … and persistent questions?
Of course, this is the version of Rayan Cherki. Perhaps the Algerian federation has another reading of the indirect exchanges that may have taken place. And nothing says either that if a more formal approach had been conducted, Cherki would have responded favorably, especially with the prospect of the French team A which was offered to him. It is true that insistent rumors, in recent weeks, suggested that the player himself could have leaned his interest in Algeria in order to accelerate a decision by Didier Deschamps, which finally took place.
The Cherki soap opera: the French team, a sporting choice above all?
Ultimately, Cherki, now French international, wanted to clarify his position and rectify what he considers to be a false presentation of the situation by the Algerian part. By saying that he had never been officially contacted by a coach or a president of the FAF, he cuts short to speculation on his possible hesitation or his insensitivity to foot calls. His choice for the Blues therefore seems, from his point of view, having imposed himself naturally, for lack of a concrete and official alternative clearly formulated by Algeria. A version that will not fail to relaunch the debate on the management of binational talents.
