"I had made a deal with him": Pierre Sage's strategy to transform Cherki

Rayan Cherki could finally be making his debut for the French national team. The 21-year-old, who has scored 8 goals and provided 11 assists this season in Ligue 1, has had some difficult times with Olympique Lyonnais, particularly when he was under Pierre Sage (in charge between November 2023 and January 2025). For "L'Équipe" , the 46-year-old coach discussed the difficulties Rayan Cherki encountered in managing the squad.

"I made a deal with him last year, he came off the bench to attack and we freed him from defensive work. But then, we had to go to the next level. I pushed him very far into frustration. Rayan, you shouldn't stroke him too much, he prefers to be shaken up." Sage also revealed that Cherki "put himself in project mode, analyzing his matches very seriously and he saw the impact his game had on the team. He set himself appointments at important moments of the season and he took responsibility for them."