Olise and Cherki clash in France camp as contrasting personalities create tension for Zidane

Michael Olise and Rayan Cherki are at odds in the France camp during the current Nations League break, according to L’Equipe, with the Bayern Munich winger said to be frustrated by his Manchester City team-mate’s unpredictable behaviour in training and matches.

The French publication reports that the two forwards hold fundamentally different approaches to the game. Olise is described as a calm, quietly authoritative presence who leads by example without needing to be vocal. Cherki, by contrast, is characterised as witty and spontaneous — qualities that, while effective on the pitch, are said to be wearing thin with Olise.

The reported friction comes despite France making a strong start under Zinedine Zidane, who took charge following the country’s painful exit at the 2026 World Cup. Les Bleus have won both of their opening Nations League fixtures 1-0, against Turkiye and Belgium, and drew 1-1 with Italy in their most recent outing — a game in which Olise scored the equaliser.

Zidane will be eager to resolve any off-field tensions quickly. His attack already boasts Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, Désiré Doué and Bradley Barcola, and the Real Madrid legend will want Olise and Cherki — two of the most gifted players in that group — functioning as a unit rather than working against each other.

Both players arrive in the international fold in excellent club form. Olise contributed 15 goals and 21 assists in the Bundesliga last season for Bayern Munich, while Cherki registered four goals and 12 assists in the Premier League for City, doing so in just 1,786 minutes under Pep Guardiola.

The backdrop to Zidane’s tenure is France’s World Cup heartbreak, where they lost 2-0 to eventual winners Spain in the semi-finals before suffering a 6-4 defeat to England in the third-place play-off. Rebuilding cohesion — both on and off the pitch — is central to the task ahead, and managing the dynamic between two of his most important attacking talents will be an early test of the new coach’s man-management.