Matteo Guendouzi involved in Champions League brawl after Mikel Arteta exiled him at Arsenal
Matteo Guendouzi has never been far from controversy.
The former Arsenal midfielder, now at Fenerbahce, was at the heart of extraordinary scenes after his side eliminated Lyon in the Champions League play-off second leg in France.
Fenerbahce won 2-1 on the night to progress, but it was what happened after the final whistle that made headlines.
Guendouzi spent three years at Marseille, Lyon’s most bitter rivals, making him an obvious target for the home support, who directed abuse at him right from the warm-up.
And Guendouzi gave as good as he got to rile them up even more, flashing a middle finger at Lyon fans and when Fenerbahce went 2-0 up, celebrating demonstratively in front of them.
After the final whistle, he skipped across the pitch, approaching fans by a corner flag and sticking out his tongue while cups were lobbed at him.
Lyon sahasında skandal saldırı! Maç sonu çıkan olaylardan yeni görüntüler geldi.
— Aykırı (@aykiri) August 26, 2026
Guendouzi’nin sevincini kutladığı anlarda Lyonlu futbolcular saldırıya geçiyor. Bu sırada Fenerbahçeli futbolcular, takım arkadaşları Guendouzi’yi adeta güvenlik görevlisi gibi koruyorlar.… https://t.co/OfDNNErE6j pic.twitter.com/Iq5jCZNpM1
Lyon players shoved him, while the likes of Romelu Lukaku and Ederson rushed over to protect their teammate, before a mass brawl broke out between players and backroom staff.
And then, in the tunnel, a Lyon staff member launched a jumping kick at Guendouzi, leading to another big confrontation between players from both camps.
Guendouzi mostrou dedo do meio no aquecimento quando a musica do LYON estava sendo cantada pelos seu torcedores
— Ryan (@ryanspfc7) August 26, 2026
Após o Fenerbahçe eliminar o lyon da champions, guendouzi provoca os torcedores do lyon novamente.
Os torcedores do lyon tentam invadir e os jogadores do lyon vão…
Guendouzi later defended himself, saying, “For more than 90 minutes, including the warm-up, they shouted insults at my family, my wife, my children. It affected me deeply, it really shook me. For me, that was pure disrespect.”
He was later hailed by Marseille fans on social media for wrecking Lyon’s Champions League dreams, and he will probably see that as vindication.
Mikel Arteta made the decision to exile him from Arsenal in 2020 after a series of disciplinary issues that made his position in North London untenable.
Watching the scenes from Lyon last night, you are reminded of exactly why.
