France in internal strife again? A 90 million euro star openly clashed with the coach during the third-place match, and his negative attitude in training angered teammates.

In the World Cup third-place match that concluded on July 19th Beijing time, France was defeated 4-6 by England, claiming only fourth place. Following the match, several French news sources disclosed internal discord in the French squad, especially regarding Cherki, valued at 90 million euros, who angered many teammates by disrespecting the coach and displaying a poor attitude.

According to the French authoritative media outlet L'Équipe, Cherki, who started the third-place match, got into a heated argument with coach Deschamps during a water break in the first half. Deschamps urged Cherki to quickly restart play, but the player responded with blatant defiance.

Deschamps managed to suppress his anger and did not explode, instead turning around to pat Olise on the shoulder as encouragement, then whispered a few words to Doué and Mbappé. Unsurprisingly, with France trailing 0-4 in a dire situation, Cherki was substituted by Deschamps at halftime.

Aside from clashing with the coach during the match, Cherki’s negative attitude throughout the World Cup also irritated his teammates. It is reported that the 22-year-old Manchester City No. 10 was unhappy about being a substitute for the national team.

He did not give his full effort in training, displaying a terrible, negative, complaining, and sulking attitude, and even laughed when problems or mistakes occurred. Some teammates simply could not understand how he could be so casual and indifferent while preparing for a major tournament like the World Cup.

In terms of talent, Cherki might be the most gifted player in this French squad, and everyone in the team knows it. However, he has released too much negative energy, indirectly affecting the atmosphere in the locker room.

It is worth noting that after France’s victory over Sweden, Cherki was seen refusing to shake hands with Deschamps. Following the semifinal loss to Spain, Cherki even publicly criticized his teammates’ performance in a post-match interview.

With Deschamps leaving, whether his successor Zidane can handle this "problem" player will be key to whether France can regain its former glory.