France were stunned by Italy on Thursday, a 3-1 defeat that marked Zidane’s first loss in charge. How could a side that began so brightly stumble so badly? Cherki didn’t hold back his analysis.
The French machine ground to a halt after a promising start under Zidane – three wins and a draw – only to see Italy overturn the early lead at San Siro. In my view, the squad looked flat without a clear plan.
Olise sparked the opening surge, capitalising on a Donnarumma error to put France ahead (1-0, 10′). Yet Esposito equalised, Frattesi struck in the 63rd minute and the Italian forward netted again in the 75th to seal the win.
“We are very frustrated,” Cherki said. “Can France rediscover its spark before the Turkey clash?”
Cherki told TF1 the match was “tight and complicated”. He praised the first 15 minutes, then admitted the team needed quicker ball rotation left‑to‑right. “We’ll learn a lot from this,” he added, noting the frustration ran deep.
The City winger said France created chances but failed to move the ball swiftly enough. “There was huge space today, yet we didn’t exploit it,” he lamented, urging more rapid passing against compact defenses.
Looking ahead to Sunday’s clash with Turkey in Bordeaux, Cherki fired up his teammates: with the quality we possess, no match – friendly, World Cup, Euro, Nations League, or training – should slip away.