Before the main game between Real Madrid and Manchester City, let’s have a look on Cherki. Rayan Cherki was hailed as a prodigy from his very first steps at Olympique Lyonnais, but the road from early promise to full recognition has been anything but straightforward. Marked by criticism, frustration, and misunderstanding, Cherki had to overcome several hurdles before his brilliance was fully appreciated.
Thrown into deep end at 16
On October 20, 2019, amid a troubled start to the season, newly appointed coach Rudi Garcia — highly unpopular due to his past with Marseille — turns to a sensational academy talent to calm the storm: Rayan Cherki.
Given a few minutes at the end of the match, the teenager becomes the youngest player in OL’s history to make his professional debut.
Throughout the 2019–2020 season, he is managed carefully but already shines, especially in a stunning performance against Nantes in the French Cup (2 goals, 2 assists).
What follows, however, is far more complicated.
A misunderstood genius
Promoted permanently to the first team the next season, Cherki quickly faces criticism. Rudi Garcia publicly questions his defensive work, opting instead for the more tactically disciplined trio of Depay, Toko-Ekambi, and Kadewere — a combination that pushes Lyon into a title race.
Garcia’s departure and the arrival of Peter Bosz do little to help. The Dutch coach, fond of fast and vertical wingers like Diaby or Bailey from his Leverkusen days, uses Cherki in a role that goes against his natural qualities.
Cherki is an interior playmaker, reliant on touches, rhythm, and combination play — not an old-school touchline winger.
In a football world obsessed with intensity and physical output, a creative outlier like Cherki struggles to fit into rigid systems.
A regular starter at last
With Laurent Blanc’s arrival during the 2022–2023 season, Cherki gains more freedom: sometimes starting wide but drifting inside, sometimes operating behind Alexandre Lacazette.
His understanding with Lacazette and Bradley Barcola allows OL to rediscover fluidity and creativity.
Then comes Pierre Sage. In 2023, Cherki becomes essential to an OL side that climbs from relegation-threatened chaos to a European race. Despite a tense contractual standoff, he eventually signs a long-term extension until 2029.
2024 : a painful summer of reflection
In a striking press conference, Rayan Cherki delivered a rare confession about the summer he endured: a turbulent period during which he was left out of the squad, almost urged to reflect on his future — an experience that “was not easy to handle,” but one that forced him into deep self-reflection before returning as one of the key figures for Olympique Lyonnais this season.
What stands out clearly from his comments, beyond the purely sporting aspects, is his vision of the game: for him, soccer should first and foremost be an art form and a source of joy for those who play it and those who watch it. Cherki does not hesitate to criticize what he perceives as the “robotization” of the modern game, where statistical efficiency takes precedence over elegance and a player’s incredible ability to dazzle with a spontaneous move or an inspired dribble.
In a soccer world that is increasingly fast, intense, and data-obsessed, his stance may seem almost anachronistic: he embraces a romantic approach, centered on the pleasure of the gesture, the charm of unpredictable sequences, and the raw emotion sparked by players capable of “bringing fans to their feet.”
This idea of a return to a “less robotic” version of the game is not merely rhetorical flair; it expresses a rare sensitivity in contemporary soccer, where few talents still dare to assert that the aesthetics of play are not a luxury, but an essential component of its beauty.
2024-2025 : the breakout season
Under Pierre Sage and later Paulo Fonseca, Cherki finally delivers a complete, mature season. The Ligue 1 assist leader and a standout performer in major matches — including a brace against Manchester United in the Europa League quarterfinal — he emerges as Lyon’s creative heartbeat.
His rise earns him a call-up to the French national team, where he immediately impresses (1 goal, 2 assists vs. Spain).
Manchester City, captivated by his unique profile, signs him to play a key role in Pep Guardiola’s evolving project.
Long misunderstood, Cherki now plays at his own pace — the pace of a talent finally aligned with its environment. Time has vindicated him.
