Rayan, what are you doing? Cherki wore a Liverpool jersey on the bench

It’s hard not to love and admire Rayan Cherki’s football. He has brought back the charm of the early 21st century to the world’s most important “second” thing, that freedom in play that crowds crave. Every time the ball is at his feet, you know you might be treated to a move you don’t see every day.

Early in the second half, he set up a goal for Antoine Semenyo to give Manchester City a 3–0 lead (FA Cup quarterfinal ended 4–0), but it was at the end of the first half that he produced a small masterpiece.

A backheel pass, without looking, to Mateus Nunes—pure perfection! The Frenchman did his job, left the pitch in the 71st minute, and somehow managed to swap shirts with his national team teammate Hugo Ekitike, who had exited three minutes earlier.

The shirt swap itself wasn’t the issue—it was that Cherki, about twenty minutes before the final whistle, had worn a Liverpool jersey on the bench. And that’s simply not done while a match is ongoing.

The coaching staff reacted immediately, and Cherki removed Ekitike’s shirt, but the moment didn’t escape the cameras and quickly went viral. He’ll probably just get a slap on the wrist for thoughtlessness, but the fact remains: there aren’t many more entertaining players in European football right now.