Guendouzi suspended and denied Dybala reunion in Fenerbahce vs Roma
Quick summary
Mattéo Guendouzi has been suspended and will miss Fenerbahce's Europa League clash against Roma, where he would have faced his former Juventus teammate Paulo Dybala.
Full article
Attributed to original sourceFormer Lazio midfielder Matteo Guendouzi will not be involved when Fenerbahce visit the Stadio Olimpico to take on Roma in the Champions League this coming week as the Frenchman has been ordered to serve a four-match European ban following his antics at the end of his side’s recent play-off victory over Lyon.
Guendouzi will not face off against Dybala in Roma vs. Fenerbahce UEFA has confirmed that Guendouzi has been served a four-match ban, two games of which will be suspended and subject to a probationary period of one year, and that he has been issued with a €50,000 fine after a recent Champions League play-off clash against Lyon.
Matteo Guendouzi celebrates his first goal for Fenerbahce (@Fenerbahce) Guendouzi was officially punished for ‘insulting and provoking spectators and for violating the basic rules of decent conduct’.
After Fenerbahce beat Lyon 2-1 away from home in the second leg of their Champions League play-off tie, eliminating the French side from the 2026-27 competition, Guendouzi appeared to taunt the home supporters with references to his former club and bitter rivals Marseille.
He was seen and heard shouting ‘Allez l’OM’ to pitchside cameras after full-time, which drew a heated reaction from the Marseille players and staff, who were already upset given their failure to qualify for the Champions League moments beforehand.
This led to a massive brawl between the two teams in the tunnel as the players and staff made their way off the pitch.
Guendouzi had already made a few enemies during his time in Serie A with Lazio: Roma star Paulo Dybala was certainly among them.
Roma’s Argentine forward #21 Paulo Dybala (R) argues with Lazio’s French Midfielder #08 Matteo Guendouzi during the Italian Serie A football match between AS Roma and Lazio on April 6, 2024 at the Olympic stadium in Rome. (Photo by Alberto PIZZOLI / AFP) (Photo by ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP via Getty Images)
The two often clashed whenever Roma and Lazio faced off at the Stadio Olimpico, Dybala commenting ‘I still had fun, even though my friend wasn’t there’, referring to Guendouzi following Roma’s most recent victory over Lazio last season.
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What happened
Fenerbahce midfielder Mattéo Guendouzi has been ruled out of the upcoming Europa League match against Roma due to a suspension. The absence is notable because it would have reunited Guendouzi on the pitch with Paulo Dybala, his former teammate at Juventus. The suspension stems from accumulated bookings in the competition. Roma's Dybala, meanwhile, is expected to be available for the fixture, setting up an intriguing matchup that will now be missing one of its most anticipated individual duels.
Chance analysis
Suspensions often shape the narrative of European ties before a ball is kicked, and Guendouzi's absence strips this fixture of a compelling subplot. The Frenchman, who has been a central figure in Fenerbahce's midfield, leaves a creative and ball-progressing void that the Turkish side must cover. Roma, by contrast, retain Dybala as their chief attacking outlet, tilting the individual quality balance in the Italian club's favour heading into the tie.
Fenerbahce lose a key midfield playmaker due to suspension, weakening their creative axis for this Europa League match against Roma.