Former Arsenal midfielder Matteo Guendouzi was at the centre of a heated tunnel confrontation following Fenerbahce's Champions League qualifying victory over Lyon, with punches and karate kicks thrown during the melee. The Frenchman, who left Arsenal in 2020 after an altercation with Brighton's Neal Maupay, was involved in an explosive clash after the match.
What sparked the brawl?
After the final whistle, Guendouzi was seen taunting Lyon fans, who are rivals of his former club Marseille. Lyon goalkeeper coach Antonio Ferreira then ran at him and delivered a karate kick by the tunnel, sparking a violent melee involving players from both sides. Ferreira was pinned against a wall by Fenerbahce players during the chaos.
Guendouzi insisted he was only responding to insults directed at his family by the Lyon supporters. Speaking in the mixed zone, he said: "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."
Guendouzi's defence
He added: "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," he continued. "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," Guendouzi concluded.
Reactions from both camps
Fenerbahce won the match 2-1, securing a 3-2 aggregate victory and a place in this season's Champions League. However, the tunnel clash dominated the post-match discussion.
Lyon midfielder Corentin Tolisso criticised Guendouzi's actions, saying: "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."
Fenerbahce head coach Ismail Kartal backed the Frenchman, stating: "As a team we all stood together to support Guendouzi. Support was provided. That is what teamwork is all about."
