Rayan Cherki left Turkey with a 1-0 France win, three training sessions under Zinedine Zidane and the feeling that a new international chapter has begun. The 23-year-old, used in a central midfield role, said the squad had quickly absorbed the early ideas of their new coach despite difficult conditions on Friday night.
The move
Cherki operated as a roaming central midfielder against Turkey, a position he said suits the way he wants to influence matches.
“I feel very good there,” he said. “It is a role I like because I am at the centre of the game and can help my team-mates in the best way possible.”
France had expected a demanding contest against a Turkish side Cherki described as strong, while the state of the pitch made the evening more complicated. Even so, he believed Les Bleus produced encouraging football, competed properly in the duels and gave everything in securing the victory.
He felt the performance would have looked different on a better surface, particularly for a team being asked to retain possession and circulate the ball more patiently.
The French season around it
The win was Zidane’s first since taking charge of France, and Cherki said the players were determined to give their new manager a positive opening result.
- Rayan Cherki, 23, played in central midfield against Turkey.
- Zinedine Zidane began his France tenure with a 1-0 win on Friday.
- Kylian Mbappé suffered an injury scare but Cherki said it was not serious.
Cherki called the first days under Zidane “a real pleasure”, pointing to the former midfielder’s standing both as a player and as a coach. The France squad has had only three sessions with him, but Cherki said the principles were already apparent.
Those instructions centre on keeping the ball and moving it with purpose. Cherki said the quality France showed in that aspect had even surprised the players themselves, while stressing that the process remains new for both the coach and his squad.
Mbappé’s injury briefly concerned the group during the match, but Cherki offered reassurance afterwards. “He is fine,” he said, adding that the forward should return stronger.
For Cherki, the Turkish night was therefore more than a narrow away win: it was an early sign of where he may fit in Zidane’s France, close to the ball and at the heart of a side beginning to learn a new rhythm.
