Manchester City attacker Rayan Cherki has sent a special message to outgoing France boss Didier Deschamps after what appeared to be a couple of frosty incidents between the pair. Deschamps has ended his 14-year reign in charge of the French team following this summer's World Cup.
Tournament Outcome
Les Bleus were one of the favourites to win the tournament, but a 2-0 loss against eventual winners Spain in the semi-final left them fighting for third place. That's where they came up against England, who suffered semi-final heartbreak against Argentina.
In what was arguably the game of the tournament, the Three Lions came out as 6-4 winners to claim third place. Thomas Tuchel's men found themselves 4-0 up at half time, but France almost completed a second-half comeback before a Bukayo Saka penalty and a Jude Bellingham goal put England out of reach.
Cherki's Message
Both teams have now returned home, with Cherki taking to social media to give his response to the tournament and single out Deschamps. “Naturally, I am saddened by the outcome of a tournament where our mission was to make you all proud and happy,” he wrote on Instagram.
“Thank you for the support that stayed with us every day and served as our driving force. I am infinitely grateful to the coach for everything he has achieved for French football and for giving me my first caps for Les Bleus.
“His track record speaks for itself. Thank you to the coaching staff for their dedication, and to all the federation personnel who supported us and ensured we had the best possible conditions, all while looking after our loved ones.
“Thank you to the whole squad for these unforgettable moments of brotherhood. Despite our differences, mistakes, or setbacks, we are one family; it is up to us to remain united so that French football comes back stronger!”
Previous Incidents
The message comes after Cherki appeared to ignore Deschamps, not once, but twice, during the tournament. The first incident came after the team's round of 32 win over Sweden, where the forward appeared to initially snub the manager before giving him a brief greeting.
The second came during the first half of the game against England. During the first hydration break, with England 2-0 up, an agitated Deschamps appears to try to give Cherki instructions, only for him to wave his hand towards the manager and walk away.
With England scoring a further two goals before half time, Cherki was one of four France players to be replaced at the break. Speaking about the incident after the match, Deschamps said: “I'm not going to settle scores today.
“The players know perfectly well. I'm not going to point fingers. However, I always tell them, and as Kylian (Mbappe) said, they needed time to process it but it was my mistake, I should have made different choices from the start of the match, you can say that, and perhaps things would have gone better.
“Everyone is judged on their performance. Obviously, some players could have done better. I wish them all the best.”
Cherki's mention of the French Football Federation in his message is also noticeable, given reports in France around growing tensions between the federation and the team. Issues reportedly include World Cup bonuses, travel and match tickets for families for the World Cup just gone.
