Zidane Takes Over France: Cherki Set for New Era

The wait is over. Zinedine Zidane is finally about to walk out as manager of the France national team.

The former Real Madrid coach, the man whose name is stitched into the fabric of French football history, will take charge of Les Bleus for the first time during the current international break. A new chapter for the national team begins, and for one of its brightest attacking talents, it could be a defining one.

Cherki at the heart of Zidane’s first squad

Among the headline inclusions in Zidane’s first squad is City’s attacking midfielder Cherki. At 23, he is no longer just a prospect. Fourteen caps, two international goals and a growing presence in the France setup have pushed him into the conversation as a long-term pillar of the team.

Now he gets something every French kid of his generation dreamed of: the chance to play under Zidane.

“It is going to be an honour to join a new manager, especially Zidane,” Cherki told Canal+. “We’re looking forward to starting work with him and really enjoying the experience.”

No need to dress that up. It’s raw, honest excitement from a player who grew up watching the man who now picks the team.

Club form to match the occasion

Cherki does not arrive at Clairefontaine searching for rhythm. He arrives flying.

At the weekend, he scored in City’s wild 5-3 Premier League win over Sunderland, another sharp reminder of his growing influence in the final third. That goal took him to three strikes in five league appearances this season, a return that underlines both productivity and consistency.

Across all competitions, the numbers are just as strong: four goals and two assists in eight matches. For an attacking midfielder still refining his game, that is the kind of output that catches a new manager’s eye immediately.

This is not a player hoping Zidane has heard of him. This is a player demanding to be noticed.

Inside Zidane’s first camp

All eyes now swing to Zidane as he puts the final touches on his preparations for that first international outing on the touchline. The squad will assemble this week, and with it comes the first glimpse of his methods with the national team: the tactical demands, the training intensity, the non-negotiables.

For the players, it is a reset. For someone like Cherki, it is an opening.

A new manager means new hierarchies, new roles, new ideas. Those who arrive in form and adapt quickly can move up the pecking order in a matter of days. The training pitch becomes an audition stage, and every session matters.

Cherki, by his own admission, cannot wait to get started. The prospect of working under one of France’s greatest footballing icons is fuel, not pressure.

A chance too big to waste

The stakes for the 23-year-old are clear. The upcoming fixtures are more than just games; they are a chance to lock himself into Zidane’s long-term plans.

If he can translate his club form into the blue shirt, if he can show the same sharpness, creativity and end product that has marked his start to the season, he moves from squad option to genuine fixture.

Zidane’s reign begins with expectation and scrutiny in equal measure. For Cherki, it begins with opportunity. How many chances in a career do you get to impress your childhood idol when he’s the one holding the team sheet?