Rayan Cherki rejects reports of a rift with Michael Olise

Rayan Cherki has rejected claims of tension with Michael Olise, insisting that reports about friction between the France internationals were fabricated. The Manchester City midfielder addressed the issue after France’s victory over Belgium on Monday, using both social media and a television appearance to challenge the story.

A report had suggested that Olise was unhappy with Cherki’s relaxed approach during training. Cherki responded on X before expanding on his position after the match. He said he intended to respond more often when inaccurate stories concerned him and urged people not to accept every report about the squad.

Cherki described the France camp as exceptionally united, saying the players had a strong relationship away from public view and that the atmosphere was reflected in their performances. He also stressed that he had rarely experienced a group that functioned so well from the first player to the last.

The 23-year-old has contributed during the international window despite being used in a less familiar midfield role. His introduction against Belgium came in the same second-half spell as Olise, Désiré Doué and Lucas Da Cunha, with the changes improving France’s attacking threat. France won 4-1 in their fourth Nations League match, while Cherki said his role required consistency, clean performances and work on second balls.