- Rayan Cherki swapped shirts with Liverpool’s Hugo Ekitike
- Cherki was spotted wearing Ekitike’s shirt on the bench
- The Frenchman has since apologised for the incident
Manchester City midfielder Rayan Cherki has apologised after he was seen wearing a Liverpool shirt while sitting on the bench during City’s 4-0 FA Cup Quarter Final victory on Saturday.
Ryan Cherki put in a superb performance as City dismantled Liverpool at the Etihad to reach a record eighth successive FA Cup semi-final.
His second-half assist for Antoine Semenyo’s goal capped a fine display and put City 3-0 up to end the match at a contest.
But while Cherki earned huge praise for his on-field display, he risked severe backlash for his actions after being subsituted.
Rayan Cherki apologises for Liverpool shirt swap drama
Despite contributing to a dominant victory at the Etihad, Cherki had to apologise after cameras showed him wearing a Liverpool jersey while still sat on the City bench before the final whistle.
The Frenchman had swapped shirts with international teammate Hugo Ekitike after the pair were both substituted in the second half.
But while the result was not in doubt at that stage, swapping shirts before full time is usually frowned upon, and wearing an opposing team’s colours on your own team’s bench is a serious no-no.
After being alerted to his mistake, Cherki was seen quickly removing the shirt and gesturing in apology to the cameras and his teammates.
Fans should forgive Cherki quickly despite initial backlash
Although an innocent mistake, the 22-year-old will not have been well received by some.
During the live broadcast, TNT Sports commentator Darren Fletcher noted: “That’s going to go down like a lead balloon in many quarters.”
But given his incredible performance, and the fact is a 22-year-old in his first season at the club, it seems unlikely many will hold a grudge.
And if he continues to turn in similar displays for the remainder of the campaign, he will quickly win back the hearts of any City fans he may have offended.
