At the end of the four matches played by the French team for Zinedine Zidane’s first steps at the helm of the Blues, it is time to take stock. And if all observers agree to say that Esteban Lepaul failed to seize his chance, that Lucas Da Cunha and Eduardo Camavinga scored big points in midfield, that Ousmane Dembélé lost big or that the site remains open in the corridors, certain cases divide.
This is particularly the case of Rayan Cherki. Used in a midfield relay position, the former Lyonnais did not fully convince despite a resounding entry into play alongside Désiré Doué and Michael Olise on Monday against Belgium.
If some consider that he has the best profile to accompany Lucas Da Cunha and Eduardo Camavinga in the midfield, Jérôme Rothen is much more circumspect. “But stop with cherki! You have the impression that it’s Mbappé, Dembélé or Olise, he said at the microphone of RMC. So I’m willing for him to brag in the press conference after analyzing the match… I’m not fixated on Cherki! »
“An unhealthy fixation”
“I listened to him say “I spoke with Bettoni, I kept a little bit, Bring me in, you’ll see what you’ll see…” So the first 3 matches you made fun of us?! And so you waited the last 20 minutes yesterday to bring out the genius Cherki”, he continued, adding: “Excuse me, there was some good and at least he didn’t completely convince us to be an indisputable starter. »
Criticisms which were not to the taste of Bilel Ghazi, former journalist at L’Equipe and close to the player as well as Kylian Mbappé. “Swagger? It’s your DNA! For the rest, a shameful way of distorting words to feed what is precisely defined as an unhealthy obsession! On your set itself, your recurring caricatured posture on the subject is underlined. For what motivation? »he wrote in a first message on X.
“You are still the only guy to “work” in a media that criticizes a football actor for not being a tap of lukewarm water, he continued. All the while distorting what he tried to express with freshness and transparency. Because you don’t understand anything or to cause harm? »
