Attacking midfielder Rayan Cherki, one of the main figures of the French national team and a Manchester City player, expressed great dissatisfaction with his team’s elimination in the World Cup semi-final to Spain. Immediately after the match, the athlete gave a press conference, where he reacted harshly to journalists’ questions and, finally, left the place abruptly.
One of the moments of tension occurred when Cherki was asked about the condition of Lucas Digne, the winger responsible for the penalty committed against Lamine Yamal, a move that resulted in the Spanish team’s opening goal.
In response, Cherki questioned the reporter: “What did you expect me to answer? That he would be in tears or that we would be discouraged? No. These are normal situations in the game, it is the nature of football.”
The player reinforced the importance of team unity, stating: “It is our duty to remain united. We were all cohesive. At half-time, the team was united. We knew that the second goal would be crucial. The disappointment we felt is immense.”
Cherki entered the field in the 27th minute of the second half, replacing Michel Olise, at a time when France was already losing 2-0 to Spain. When asked if he believed he should have participated in the match earlier, the midfielder returned the question to the journalist. After the professional’s affirmative response, Cherki just shrugged his shoulders and left the press conference.
Previously, the athlete had directed criticism at his own team, emphasizing the perception that France succumbed to its own performance, and not to its opponent.
“It’s a huge, colossal disappointment, because today we were defeated by ourselves”, declared Cherki. “We didn’t lose to the referee, we didn’t lose to Spain, we lost exclusively to ourselves. Everyone here, and all of us, know that we were a team that imposed fear on our opponents.”
He concluded that “the only team with the capacity to eliminate us was ourselves. And that’s exactly what happened today. We were technically and tactically outmatched, and lost in individual duels. It’s a truly profound disappointment.”
