Former Arsenal midfielder Matteo Guendouzi was at the centre of a chaotic Champions League encounter between Fenerbahce and Lyon on Wednesday night, which saw a goalkeeping coach launch a flying kick at him and punches thrown between players.
The 2-1 victory for Fenerbahce secured a 3-2 aggregate win and progression into this season's Champions League, but the main talking point was the heated altercation that erupted during the match.
Provocation and retaliation
Guendouzi, who played for Lyon's fierce rivals Marseille, taunted Lyon players and fans throughout the game, at one point saying "we're f****ng you" as his side moved into a 2-0 lead. Lyon goalkeeping coach Antonio Ferreira then reacted by fly-kicking Guendouzi, igniting a fierce scuffle with players from both teams trading blows, while Ferreira was cornered against a wall by Fenerbahce players.
After the game, Guendouzi claimed he was merely reacting to Lyon fans who had been hurling insults at his family. In the mixed zone post-match, he stated: "When you have 60,000 people insulting your family, your mother, your children, even before the game and no one on the referee's side tells the crowd to be quiet.
"Because I know that in France, when this kind of thing happens, there comes a point when they will talk to the fans and stop the match. For 90 minutes, even longer with the warm-up, they insulted my family. It's something that gets to you.
"If you want to banter, then it goes both ways. They insulted my mother and my family, and to me, that was disrespectful. Beyond that, if we can't celebrate the way we want anymore, I think that's a shame."
Reactions from both camps
Guendouzi also referenced his support for Marseille, saying: "Everyone knows I support OM; I've never hidden it. It's just banter, they insulted my family, if after that we aren't allowed to make the Jul sign, where are we heading?
"I've seen matches where the Lyon players celebrate in front of the stands at the Vélodrome. It has to work both ways. As far as I'm concerned, I have the right to celebrate. There is nothing malicious about the Jul sign."
Lyon star Corentino Tolisso criticised Guendouzi's actions post-match, stating: "You have to stay humble in victory, go celebrate that with your team in the locker room. Well done, congratulations to them, but there's no real need to do that."
Conversely, Fenerbahce's head coach Ismail Kartal backed the Frenchman, asserting: "As a team we all stood together to support Guendouzi. Support was provided. That is what teamwork is all about."
