Zidane under pressure after dressing-room clash between Barcola and Cherki

Zinedine Zidane faces a fresh dressing-room problem after France's 1-3 defeat to Italy at San Siro on November 14, 2026, when two of his attacking players — Rayan Cherki and Bradley Barcola — were involved in a heated confrontation that reportedly continued after the final whistle.

Match and incident

Michael Olise opened the scoring for the visitors, but Italy mounted a comeback through two goals by Francesco Pio Esposito and one by Davide Frattesi to win the Nations League A1 fixture 3-1. The result left France in second place in the play-off group with one round remaining.

The friction between Cherki and Barcola flared on the pitch after Esposito’s equaliser and, according to multiple onsite accounts, did not end with the final whistle — tensions spilled into the dressing room where the altercation reportedly escalated and Cherki left angrily.

The incident is complicated by the players' recent transfer paths and growing rivalry in the Premier League: Barcola moved to Liverpool from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer transfer window for £123 million, while Cherki joined Manchester City in summer 2025 for £34 million from Olympique Lyon. Cherki has become a key figure under new City manager Enzo Maresca, who took over after Pep Guardiola left at the end of last season.

Zidane now faces the immediate task of calming the squad and managing relations ahead of the final round of group matches. The federation and coaching staff must decide whether disciplinary measures are required and how to prevent the clash from undermining France's Nations League campaign.

Photo: press material from the event