The wait is over. Zinedine Zidane is finally about to walk out as manager of the France national team, taking charge of his country for the first time during the current international break. For a generation that grew up watching his highlights on repeat, he is no longer just the icon on the screen or the statue outside the stadium. He is the boss.
Among those now playing for him, City’s attacking midfielder Rayan Cherki stands out as one of the headline names in Zidane’s first squad. At 23, he is no newcomer to the national setup – 14 caps, two goals, and the feeling that his international story is only just getting started.
This call-up feels different, though.
Cherki, once the prodigy at Lyon and now a key creative force for City, knows exactly what it means to work under a figure of Zidane’s stature. Speaking to Canal+, he did not bother to hide his excitement.
“It is going to be an honour to join a new manager, especially Zidane,” he said. “We’re looking forward to starting work with him and really enjoying the experience.”
There was no scripted politeness in that line. For a French playmaker, Zidane is the reference point, the standard, the poster on the bedroom wall turned into the man picking the team sheet.
Cherki arrives at Clairefontaine in form, and he knows it. At the weekend, he found the net in City’s wild 5-3 Premier League win over Sunderland, a game that underlined both his flair and his growing influence. That strike took him to three goals in five league appearances this season. Stretch the numbers across all competitions and the picture looks even brighter: four goals and two assists in eight matches.
Those are the sort of statistics that catch a new manager’s eye. Especially one who built his own career on decisive contributions in big moments.
Zidane, for his part, now moves from theory to practice. The speculation about his tactics, his man-management, his blend of authority and calm presence will give way to real sessions on the training pitch. The squad gathers this week, and the work begins: shape, structure, roles, and the subtle tweaks that separate a good national side from a ruthless one.
For players like Cherki, this camp is more than another international break. It is an audition. A chance to convince Zidane that his name should not just be in the squad list, but on the team sheet, regularly and in bold ink.
He has the tools: close control, vision between the lines, the ability to decide games in the final third. What Zidane will want to see now is consistency, maturity, and a player who can translate club form into international impact without skipping a beat.
The stage is set. A legendary No. 10 now stands on the touchline, and a new generation of French talent, Cherki among them, is desperate to write its own chapter under his gaze.
