Guendouzi hit with four-match European ban and €50,000 fine after Lyon brawl

UEFA has suspended Fenerbahce midfielder Matteo Guendouzi for four European matches — two of them deferred — and fined him €50,000 for his role in the brawl that broke out after the Turkish side's Champions League play-off victory at Lyon. The disciplinary action comes after Fenerbahce advanced to the league phase with a 3-2 aggregate win on French soil.

• Guendouzi was punished for insulting match attendees, provoking spectators and violating the basic rules of decent conduct.
• Two of his four banned matches are suspended for a one-year probationary period.
• Mason Greenwood received a one-match suspended ban and a €30,000 fine.
• Lyon goalkeeping coach Antonio Ferreira was handed a five-match ban, two suspended, for serious assault.
• Both clubs must pay €50,000 each over their teams' conduct.

UEFA sanctions for Guendouzi, Greenwood and Ferreira

European football's disciplinary body said Guendouzi was penalised for insulting others present at the game, provoking spectators and breaking the basic rules of decent behaviour. His ban covers four matches, although he will only serve two of them unless he reoffends during a twelve-month probationary window.

Mason Greenwood, the English striker who joined Fenerbahce in the summer from Marseille — Lyon's fierce rivals — was given a one-match suspended ban for violating the basic rules of decent conduct. He must also pay €30,000. Like part of his teammate's punishment, his ban is subject to a one-year probationary period.

The heaviest individual sanction fell on Antonio Ferreira, Lyon's goalkeeping coach: a five-game ban, two of those suspended, for what UEFA described as serious assault during the clashes that followed the visitors' victory.

The tunnel brawl at the Groupama Stadium

The former Arsenal midfielder, who wore the Marseille shirt between 2021 and 2024, was repeatedly booed by Lyon supporters throughout the match. After the final whistle, the 24-year-old appeared to taunt sections of the home crowd, and teammates had to pull him away as tensions rose.

During the post-match scuffle, Guendouzi was seen shouting 'Allez l'OM' toward a pitchside camera, a reference to Marseille. Footage circulating on social media also appeared to show someone wearing Lyon kit confronting the France midfielder as he walked toward the tunnel, with security staff and members of both squads getting involved. The melee then spilled into the tunnel itself.

Guendouzi's account: family insults and a lack of referee protection

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 — if we can't celebrate the way we want afterward, I find that disappointing.

After the game, the French international told reporters he felt disrespected by Lyon fans, whom he accused of hurling insults about his family. He added that being unable to celebrate qualification the way the team wanted felt frustrating, and pointed out that in France match officials have the option of making a public announcement to calm the crowd, or even briefly stopping the game, when such episodes occur.

What the ban means for Fenerbahce and Guendouzi

The punishment arrives at a crucial moment for the Istanbul club, already through to the Champions League league phase. Losing Guendouzi for two European matches — with the threat of two more if he reoffends — forces the manager to reshuffle his midfield on the continental stage. The club must also absorb a fine that comes on top of the one handed to the player.

For Guendouzi, the sanction puts the spotlight back on his temperament. The midfielder already had a history of run-ins with opponents and coaches during his time at Arsenal, and his spell at Marseille deepened his emotional bond with the Vélodrome faithful, turning every trip to Lyon into a hostile affair.

Fenerbahce and Lyon also fined by UEFA

Alongside the individual punishments, UEFA imposed a €50,000 fine on each club for their teams violating the general and basic rules of conduct. The governing body found that neither Fenerbahce nor Lyon managed to keep control of their players and coaching staff in the moments after the full-time whistle.

For Lyon, elimination from Europe's top competition does not spare the bench from accountability: Ferreira's five-match ban will apply to the club's future European fixtures. Having lost the play-off, Lyon will compete in the Europa League this season.