Cherki and Barcola on-pitch row overstated as France fall to Italy in Nations League

France suffered a 3-1 Nations League defeat to Italy at the San Siro on Thursday, with claims of a dressing-room bust-up between Manchester City’s Rayan Cherki and Liverpool’s Bradley Barcola quickly proving to be overblown. The pair were both selected by Zinedine Zidane and were involved in a heated on-pitch exchange late in the first half, but the original source of the story — RMC Sport — stopped well short of describing a full-blown falling out.

The initial RMC report described “tensions that appeared on the pitch, notably a misunderstanding between [Cherki] and Bradley Barcola at the end of the first half, when the match had started to turn around.” It also noted that Cherki looked visibly frustrated leaving the dressing room, though the context pointed to disappointment at the result rather than a personal dispute with his team-mate. Subsequent outlets amplified the story into a dressing-room confrontation — a characterisation that does not appear to be supported by the original reporting.

On the pitch, France were undone by Pio Esposito, who cancelled out Michael Olise’s early opener before adding a second to put Italy firmly in control. The defeat was the first Zidane’s side have suffered since the World Cup winner took charge, replacing Didier Deschamps following France’s run to the semi-finals in North America.

Despite the setback, France remain well-placed in their Nations League group. A point against winless Turkey in their final fixture will secure a place in the quarter-finals, and a win could still see them finish as group winners.

Cherki and Barcola have had contrasting trajectories under Zidane. Barcola was one of France’s standout performers at the World Cup, scoring three times, but has yet to find the net in five matches under the new manager despite starting three of them. Cherki, who had a more peripheral role under Deschamps, has flourished in the new setup, contributing a goal and two assists during the Nations League campaign.

“We didn’t lack courage, on the contrary, we were in the game,” Zidane said after the final whistle. “But, defensively, we weren’t as good. Without the ball, it wasn’t enough.”