Matteo Guendouzi banned after Lyon Champions League brawl
Matteo Guendouzi received a four-match European ban—with two matches suspended—and a €50,000 fine from UEFA after a post-match brawl following Fenerbahce’s Champions League play-off win at Lyon. Team-mate Mason Greenwood was given a one-match suspended ban and a €30,000 fine for violating basic rules of decent conduct.
The rulings, reported on 4 September 2026, follow Fenerbahce’s 2-1 away win that sealed a 3-2 aggregate place in the Champions League league phase. For more coverage of high-stakes disputes and fallout, see our True Crime & Unsolved Mysteries hub.
Key Takeaways
- Matteo Guendouzi: four-match ban (two suspended) plus a €50,000 fine for insulting others, provoking spectators, and breaching decent-conduct rules.
- Mason Greenwood: one-match suspended ban and a €30,000 fine for violating basic rules of decent conduct.
- Lyon goalkeeping coach Antonio Ferreira: five-match ban (two suspended) for “serious assault.”
- Both clubs were fined €50,000 for team conduct breaches; Fenerbahce says it is weighing an appeal.
What did UEFA punish Matteo Guendouzi for?
According to BBC Sport, UEFA sanctioned Guendouzi for “insulting others present at the match, provoking spectators and for violating the basic rules of decent conduct.” Two of his four European matches are suspended under a one-year probationary period.
Greenwood’s one-match ban is also suspended for one year. The Athletic reported the same fines and noted both clubs faced further penalties linked to crowd behaviour, including pyrotechnics, alongside the €50,000 team-conduct fines.
Why did the Lyon brawl erupt after full time?
Guendouzi, a former Marseille midfielder who played there between 2021 and 2024, was repeatedly booed by Lyon supporters. After the win he appeared to taunt home fans; ESPN reported he raised a middle finger during the warm-up and after the game, grabbed his crotch, and shouted “Allez l’OM.”
Video shared online appeared to show someone in Lyon colours confronting him near the tunnel before a melee involving players and staff from both sides. Guendouzi told reporters he felt “disrespected” by family insults from the crowd and said it was disappointing if players cannot celebrate as they wish.
Will Fenerbahce appeal the Guendouzi and Greenwood bans?
Fenerbahce said it is evaluating UEFA’s decisions through its legal departments and will pursue arbitration and appeals against the penalties. Earlier it confirmed disciplinary proceedings against Guendouzi, Greenwood, and the club, pledging to defend their interests before UEFA bodies.
Greenwood joined Fenerbahce from Marseille in the summer. Ferreira’s five-match ban, with two matches suspended, underscores how UEFA also targeted Lyon staff for the tunnel confrontation that followed the final whistle.