Guendouzi Challenged by Lyon Supporters: Castaldi Defends Him Unreservedly

Mattéo Guendouzi is not alone facing the controversy. While UEFA has opened disciplinary proceedings following incidents between the Fenerbahçe midfielder and Lyon supporters during the return Champions League playoff last Wednesday, journalist Giovanni Castaldi has publicly defended the French player.

Lyon had been eliminated at home by Fenerbahçe (1-2) after a 1-1 draw in Turkey, missing out on the league phase of the competition. But it was Guendouzi’s conduct on the sidelines of the match that monopolized attention: the former Olympique Marseille and Arsenal player responded to public insults with obscene gestures and harsh words, actions now in the hands of UEFA’s disciplinary commission.

Interviewed on RTL on Saturday, Castaldi argued that Guendouzi’s reaction was legitimate. “For me, it’s totally understandable. I can’t stand this era where we accept that 50, 60, 70,000 people can insult a player’s entire family and then, in return, we wouldn’t tolerate the player being able to respond.”

The journalist, however, qualified his remarks on the form. “I’m not saying I would have expressed it the same way as Mattéo Guendouzi, but we have a problem in this country every time it comes to saying that supporters don’t have all the rights. So at some point, if supporters aren’t able to, when they’ve provoked and insulted, to have a backlash, I think that’s unfair.”

Castaldi also blamed Lyon’s staff in the escalation of tensions. “What made things degenerate in the corridor was someone from Lyon’s staff who came to physically attack a player on the pitch,” he concluded, shifting part of the responsibility to the Rhône side.

UEFA’s disciplinary commission must now rule on possible sanctions, without it yet being clear who might be targeted.