UEFA Bans Guendouzi Four Matches, Fines Fenerbahce Duo Over Champions League Playoff Chaos

Matteo Guendouzi and Mason Greenwood have both been handed disciplinary punishments by UEFA following chaotic scenes that marred Fenerbahce's Champions League playoff victory over Lyon last month.

The Turkish side secured their place in the league phase of the Champions League after a 2-1 win against Lyon, but the aftermath of the result quickly overshadowed the result itself. Former Arsenal midfielder Guendouzi, who also previously played for Marseille, sparked chaotic scenes as he celebrated the win by appearing to bait supporters of his former Ligue 1 rivals.

UEFA has now confirmed that Guendouzi has received a four-match European ban, two of which have been suspended, along with a fine of €50,000 (£43,000). According to UEFA, the punishment was handed down for insulting others present at the match, provoking spectators, and violating the basic rules of decent conduct. As a result of the ban, Guendouzi will miss Fenerbahce's opening two Champions League league phase fixtures, against Roma and Aston Villa.

Fellow Marseille alumnus Mason Greenwood, who joined Fenerbahce from Marseille this summer, was also sanctioned by UEFA, though with a lighter punishment. The 24-year-old Englishman received a one-match suspended ban, subject to a one-year probationary period, along with a fine of €30,000 (£26,000), for violating the basic rules of decent conduct.

Beyond the individual sanctions, both Fenerbahce and Lyon as clubs were fined €50,000 each for what UEFA described as violating the general and basic rules of conduct, reflecting the governing body's view that responsibility for the disorder extended beyond the two players directly involved.

Responding to the incident, Guendouzi defended his conduct by pointing to what he described as sustained abuse directed at him and his family by Lyon supporters throughout the match. He said that if players are unable to celebrate the way they want to after a result, he finds that disappointing, describing a situation in which thousands of fans were allegedly insulting his family, including his mother and children, even before kickoff, without any intervention from match officials to quiet the crowd. He contrasted this with how he believes such situations are typically handled in France, suggesting that authorities there would usually speak to the fans involved, and potentially halt the match altogether, when this kind of abuse occurs.

Guendouzi, who played for Marseille between 2021 and 2024 before his move to Fenerbahce, has previously spoken about how differently he has been received at various clubs throughout his career, a theme that has followed him through his transitions between Arsenal, Marseille, and now Fenerbahce.

The disciplinary rulings bring an end to the fallout from the playoff tie, though the suspended nature of both Guendouzi's and Greenwood's bans means further incidents within the coming year could trigger those suspended matches being activated. For now, Fenerbahce will have to navigate the opening stages of their Champions League league phase campaign without their combative midfielder for two matches, as attention turns to how the Turkish side manage the disciplinary fallout heading into a competitive European campaign.