Cherki said "coach", not "wesh": Adil Rami settles the controversy by reading lips

Rayan Cherki did say “coach”, not “wesh”, when greeting Didier Deschamps as he arrived at the France squad gathering at Clairefontaine. That’s the conclusion of Adil Rami, who analysed the viral video frame by frame on social media this week.

The footage was enough to ignite online debate. It shows the Manchester City player briefly addressing the national team manager on his arrival for this final gathering before the World Cup. Some internet users claimed to hear a “wesh” in the midfielder’s opening words, reigniting discussions about young players’ behaviour towards the coaching staff.

The former 2018 World Cup-winning defender, now a sports consultant, decided to end the speculation. “It sounds like he’s saying ‘wesh’, but actually he’s saying ‘coach’,” he concluded after a first viewing. Before watching the sequence a second time to be sure: “No, he definitely says coach. There will be some malicious or ill-intentioned people who will claim he said ‘wesh’,” he added, with a touch of humour.

This mini-controversy was not the only one to mark Cherki’s stay at Clairefontaine. The player had already drawn attention during Emmanuel Macron’s visit to the château hosting the French squad, appearing in the group photo in an uncomfortable posture, knees bent, just in front of Sports Minister Marina Ferrari.

On the pitch, Deschamps responded in his own way by starting the former Lyon player in the first World Cup warm-up match against Côte d’Ivoire. Cherki seized the opportunity by scoring a notable goal, leaving the corridor controversies well behind him.