France lost 2-1 to Ivory Coast on Thursday night in a World Cup warm-up match. Despite the defeat, Rayan Cherki scored his second goal for Les Bleus. The Manchester City attacking midfielder considered the match a valuable experience, eleven days before France's opening World Cup match against Senegal on June 16.
"A normal performance" for Cherki
After the match, Cherki downplayed his individual performance. He described his game as a preparation step, remaining calm despite his goal: “On a personal level, it was a normal performance, just to get warmed up. Of course, we ate at Clairefontaine, we ate all season. There's a bit of fatigue, but the goal is to be in good form on June 16th. It's all a bonus during the friendly matches. In the first half, we managed to keep possession and try things.”
A more difficult second period
The French player acknowledged that the match had changed completely after the break. The numerous substitutions disrupted the rhythm of both teams and made the game more difficult to control. "It was more complicated in the second half, the game wasn't the same anymore. There were a lot of changes, so it's more difficult for them, as well as for us. It's a bit of a wake-up call that helps us stay focused."
An offensive speech before the World Cup
Cherki then outlined his ambitions for the World Cup. For him, Les Bleus will not approach the competition as favorites, but with a clear intention to dominate their opponents: “We won’t go to the World Cup as favorites, but to crush everyone. Michael Olise and I understand each other without even speaking. If he cuts inside, I don’t want to step on his toes. It’s a shared understanding of the game. It’s wonderful to play together. We have extraordinary team cohesion.”
Olise-Cherki, an agreement already highlighted
Cherki also emphasized his technical relationship with Michael Olise. He highlighted a natural connection, based on reading the game and complementary movement. Heading into their first match against Senegal, France thus leaves with a defeat, but with high ambitions: Les Bleus want to be ready by June 16th, and Cherki is already embracing a winning mentality. However, football has shown that talking too much beforehand can only lead to a more brutal disappointment…
