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'An absolute master, a wizard with the ball' - who is new City man Cherki?
Rayan Cherki is only the latest talent fresh off the Lyon production line, but he may be the best yet. He joined Lyon at the age of seven from AS Saint-Priest and, aged 16 years and 140 days, became their youngest goalscorer in January 2020. Advertisement Before that, in November 2019, a Champions League debut came against Zenit, while he also helped France reach the quarter-finals of the European Under-21 Championships in 2023. Cherki has just enjoyed a breakout campaign in Ligue 1, providing 11 assists, 22 big chances - the most in the league - 13 through-balls and 48 successful dribbles. A return of 12 goals is by far the best of his short career, but it is his work and understanding of the game off the ball that has arguably improved the most this term. French football expert Julien Laurens, speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live's Euro Leagues podcast, said: "He has been incredible this season. Since he was 16 - even before that - the talent is there, left foot or right foot. Advertisement "A player at this level who takes corners with each foot depending on which side of the corner it is, to be an inswinger every time is just incredible. "He is one of the greatest technicians in Europe right now." Of the 44 shots he took with his feet in Ligue 1 last season, 22 came with the left and 22 with the right. Cherki's growing reputation was only enhanced by Thursday's stunning international debut on Thursday against Spain, when he sparked France's comeback from 5-1 down. And Laurens certainly isn't Cherki's only admirer. France legend Thierry Henry has previously said he has "never seen a player in history who dribbles as quickly as him", while Lyon's captain Alexandre Lacazette described him as "special". Advertisement Cherki, also part of the France squad that finished runners-up at the 2024 Olympics, scored in both legs for Lyon against Manchester United in a Europa League quarter-final defeat in 2024-25. Speaking to BBC Sport in April about him, Lyon's former Arsenal player Ainsley Maitland-Niles said: "He is the best natural talent I've ever seen. An absolute master, a wizard with the ball. "He is taking chances, assists and dragging us up the pitch by taking people on and nutmegging them - he is a genius."
BBC News
17-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Football Daily Euro Leagues: Real Madrid ready for change and the life of a technical director
After Real Madrid's tame Champions League exit the Euro Leagues crew ask whether signing Trent Alexander-Arnold is really the priority to improve such an imbalanced squad needing greater defensive stability. What else needs addressing and who is/isn't in the frame to succeed Carlo Ancelotti. Also on the agenda for Guillem Balague, Mina Rzouki and Julien Laurens; Inter and Barcelona meeting in the UCL semis for the first time since 2010 when Jose's Inter went through at Camp Nou depite not having a shot in the second leg against Pep's Barca. What are we expecting this time around? There's a special guest on this week's pod in former Bayern technical director Marco Neppe who discusses his favourite signings from his time in Munich, how elite clubs operate, breaking the German transfer record for Harry Kane, and the recent discourse that elite level football has become boring. TIMECODES 05:07 – Real Madrid elimination 15:48 – Inter set up Barcelona semi and memories of Mourinho v Pep in 2010 22:59 - Marco Neppe on Bayern's exit and his career as the club's Technical Director, his favourite signings, the record deal for Harry Kane, and recent discourse that elite level football has become boring. 40:14 – PSG v Arsenal BBC Sounds / 5 Live commentaries this weekend: Sat 1200 *5 Sports Extra* WSL West Ham v Manchester United Sat 1230 Women's Champions League Arsenal v Lyon Sat 1500 Premier League Everton v Manchester City Sat 1730 Premier League Aston Villa v Newcastle Sun 1400 Premier League Ipswich v Arsenal Sun 1400 *5 Sports Extra* Premier League Manchester United v Wolves Sun 1400 *BBC Sport app & website* Premier League Fulham v Chelsea Sun 1630 Premier League Leicester v Liverpool
BBC News
16-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
'We are convinced' - but is this a comeback too far for Madrid?
"Anything can happen."Those were the words of Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti, the most successful boss in Champions League history, after his side's 3-0 defeat by Arsenal in the first leg of their quarter-final at Emirates Stadium last phrase is a football cliche but, when it comes to 15-time champions of Europe Real Madrid and the Champions League, it is often when they take to the pitch against Arsenal on Wednesday they will have to do something they have only managed once before in Europe's top-tier tournament - come back from a 3-0 first-leg Rice's sensational free-kick double and Mikel Merino's curled strike made it advantage Arsenal heading into the return leg at the Bernabeu."If you look at the game [last week] there is no possibility," said Ancelotti about a potential comeback."But nobody expected Rice would score two goals from set-pieces, so in football anything can happen."The possibility is low but we have to try 100%." Real are comeback kings - but history is against them On three out of the past four occasions on which Real Madrid have trailed after the first leg in the Champions League, they have fought back to reach the next round - against Wolfsburg in 2015-16 and in 2021-22 against both Paris St-Germain and Manchester Arsenal can take belief from the fact this is the joint-largest deficit Madrid have ever trailed by heading into a Champions League second last time they faced such a task was against Borussia Dortmund in the 2012-13 semi-final, when Robert Lewandowski netted a hat-trick in a 4-1 win for Jurgen Klopp's side in won the return match 2-0 in Madrid, but Dortmund progressed to the final on fact, the only time they have fought back from three goals down after a first leg came in the European Cup against Derby County in the last 16 of the 1975-76 edition, winning 6-5 on aggregate following a 4-1 defeat at the Baseball Ground. A deficit of three goals or more has been overturned just four times since the European Cup became the Champions League in trailed 3-0 against Barcelona going into the second leg of their 2018-19 semi-final at Anfield, but stormed into the final with four unanswered La Coruna, against AC Milan in 2004, and Roma, in 2018 against Barcelona, are the only other teams to have come back from three goals down after a first leg in the Champions League one team have overturned a four goal-deficit - Barcelona in the game christened 'La Remontada' in 2016-17 - when they beat PSG 6-1 at the Nou Camp. Stats company Opta gives Arsenal an 89.7% chance of progressing to the semi-finals, and Real have lost five games in the competition this season - a tally that equals a club record."Every single time Madrid did a miracle, the preview said it is not possible," said Guillem Balague on the EuroLeagues podcast."But on this occasion, you are talking about a team that don't defend well, there is no architecture in the midfield, there is no patterns. They depend a lot on the individuals, as always. They haven't got a capacity to react."There are so many details that suggest it is not possible for them to turn this around, including the amount of running they do - they ran 12km less than Arsenal [in the first leg]."They are still not players who do the work defensively. They think they can just switch on at any minute and turn any game around, and I don't think that's possible, not with this team." The omens are good for Arsenal As James Horncastle said on the EuroLeagues podcast, there are heavyweights of the European game who are still backing Madrid to progress - including Champions League winners with AC Milan Alessandro Costacurta and Zvonimir Boban, and former Madrid boss Fabio Capello. "Amazing things happen in football, amazing things happen at the Bernabeu," said Horncastle. "I know this Real Madrid side has injuries, it has flaws, it is not balanced."I was not surprised to see in the Italian papers and on Italian TV, that when they were asked to predict who would reach the semi-finals, three pundits - Costacurta, Boban and Capello - still refused to go against Madrid."It still says a lot about Madrid's reputation that it is not something you can take for granted that Arsenal will progress at the Bernabeu."But the omens are good for Mikel Arteta's victory was the 12th time an English side have won by three or more goals in the first leg of a Champions League knockout stage tie, and every time the English side has gone through to the next Gunners also have a good record when leading after the first leg of a Champions League knockout match - they have progressed from six of the eight ties they have won the opening they remain unbeaten against Real Madrid in European competition, with two wins and a draw, and have not conceded a single goal across their three meetings. But comeback kings say they 'will get it done' After the first leg at the Emirates, Real's England star Jude Bellingham said: "One place where crazy things happen is our house."Speaking at Tuesday's news conference, Bellingham added: "It's a night that's made for Real Madrid."A night that would go down in history but also something that people are familiar with around this part of this world. Hopefully we can add another special night."No Champions League campaign epitomised that more than in 2021-22, when Real pulled off sensational fightbacks against PSG, Chelsea and then Manchester City in one of the most incredible runs in the competition's season they were minutes away from losing their semi-final tie with Bayern Munich before turning things around with two late goals at the both of those campaigns, Ancelotti's side went on to win the competition."We know we're strong at home with our fans," said goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. "If we score one or two, quickly... I think it's possible."It is that 'never say die' attitude that has served Real so well over the years.
BBC News
04-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
PSG on brink of title and chasing invincible season
Paris St-Germain are on the brink of something Enrique's side are 21 points clear of nearest challengers Monaco in Ligue 1 and avoiding defeat at home to Angers on Saturday will see them crowned champions with six matches will only be the third time a team has won Ligue 1 with so many matches left, PSG themselves having lifted the title with eight games to go in 2016 and Lyon winning it with six games remaining in PSG have lifted the title earlier in the year, having won it by mid March in that 2016 course, a league title is nothing new to the defending champions - this will be their fifth successive Ligue 1 crown and 12th in the past 14 the manner of this season's efforts, despite the departures of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar in recent years, has been particularly are unbeaten in the league after 27 games and closing in on Nantes' record of the most games without defeat from the start of a season - that was 32 in 1994-95, suffering their only loss in the 33rd of what was then a 38-game campaign."That Nantes side were one of the greatest teams we have had in French football history," said Julien Laurens on the EuroLeagues podcast. "[They went close to going unbeaten], but nobody has ever gone the whole way." If PSG complete an unbeaten league season, they would become just the sixth team from Europe's top five leagues to do so, joining Bayer Leverkusen from 2024, Juventus in 2012, Arsenal in 2004, Milan in 1992 and Perugia in 1979."They would be the first French team ever to do it," added Laurens. "One defeat has been done twice, but zero defeats never."I think this is the main motivation for this PSG team and for Luis Enrique. He tells the players enough they could write even more history by staying the whole season unbeaten. "There is a reason why it is so rare, because I think subconsciously when you have validated the title and have other competitions to focus on, even if you want to keep winning, maybe there is something in you that you switched off a little bit. "They have been playing so well the last few months that it is definitely not out of the question."PSG also still have their eyes on a quadruple, with a Champions League quarter-final and a Coupe de France final to look forward to, having already won the French Super the Ligue 1 crown almost wrapped up, here is how the title races look across the rest of the top five European leagues. Barca and Real go toe-to-toe The La Liga title race is one of the tightest in Europe, with Barcelona and Real Madrid battling for top Flick's side sit at the summit in Spain with a three-point cushion over the reigning champions Real, with nine matches and Real Madrid still have to meet in the final La Liga Clasico of the season - due to take place on the second weekend in May. Atletico Madrid are lingering in third but the nine points needed to catch up with their rivals may well be too much at this stage in the don't, however, have to play either of the top in the run-in. Kane to win first league title? England captain Harry Kane could win the first major trophy of his career, with Bayern Munich six points clear of defending Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen in Alonso's side failed to capitalise when Vincent Kompany's men dropped points in March, losing at home against lowly Bochum and drawing at Union seven matches left, only Leverkusen are within touching distance of the Bavarians, with third-placed Frankfurt a further 11 points behind Alonso's is once again top of the scoring charts in Germany with 22 goals. Inter on course for two in a row The Serie A title race remains close, with defending champions Inter Milan leading the way by three the 2023 champions, are the only side who could realistically catch Simone Inzaghi's men, with third-placed Atalanta nine points adrift of top take on rivals AC Milan in the Coppa Italia semi-finals and face Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals - meaning a treble is very much it be a second Scudetto on the spin for Inter or two in three seasons for Napoli? Liverpool close to securing 20th title Liverpool can wrap the Premier League title up before the end of April with second-place Arsenal 12 points first title in 30 years came in 2020 during the Coronavirus pandemic under the guidance of Jurgen Slot, however, is hoping to win the title in his first season at the club since replacing Klopp last summer. Out of all other competitions, the biggest tests of his side's remaining eight league games would appear to be away at Champions League-chasing Chelsea on 4 May before they host second-placed Arsenal the following week.
BBC News
04-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Kluivert encouraged Aarons into Valencia move
Bournemouth loanee Max Aarons says he is "loving" his time in Spain after moving to Valencia in 25-year-old has made two appearances since the move, both against Barcelona - the team he was close to joining five years ago. "From a young age it was always a dream of mine to play in Spain," Aarons told BBC Radio 5 Live's Euro Leagues podcast."In 2020 it nearly happened with Barcelona. Ever since then, I've said it doesn't matter which team, as long as it's in La Liga I would love to be there and the opportunity happened in January."You do have to be a certain kind of character to do that, especially as an English player. It doesn't happen a lot and I can understand for some players why it wouldn't be the right thing."But, for some, especially myself, it's something you always want to do and if you're to do it you have to immerse yourself in the culture and be all in. You can't expect to come in and it be England - you have to jump in and be ready."Learning the language, trying the food - everything. It's an experience and I have to say I'm loving it."Valencia's Mestalla stadium holds 49,000 compared to the Vitality Stadium's 11,000 capacity and Aarons is enjoying the change in setting."I knew the Mestalla stadium was incredible before coming here," he added. "One of my Bournemouth team-mates Justin Kluivert played here and told me 'you're going to be blown away'. "The first game I couldn't believe it, it's crazy. It's no disrespect for where I came from in Bournemouth but going from there to here in January... you have to get used to the difference in the stadium and atmosphere."Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds
