Former Arsenal midfielder Matteo Guendouzi was involved in a chaotic post-match brawl after Fenerbahce secured a 2-1 victory over Lyon at the Groupama Stadium.
The 27-year-old midfielder goaded home supporters as he walked off the pitch after the Turkish club booked their place in the Champions League league phase with a 3-2 aggregate win.
Footage taken from the stands showed Lyon goalkeeping coach Antonio Ferreira, identified by French newspaper L'Equipe, emerging from the tunnel and seemingly aiming a flying kick at Guendouzi.
Players and backroom staff from both teams rushed toward the tunnel area as a violent melee broke out. Punches were thrown in the direction of Ferreira while he was pinned against a wall before security staff intervened to hold back coaches and players.
The ugly scenes concluded a tempestuous encounter in France, with Guendouzi repeatedly at the centre of controversy throughout the evening.
Flying kicks and tunnel clashes
The former Marseille player was subjected to a chorus of boos and jeers from the home crowd from the outset. Guendouzi responded by giving the middle finger to Lyon supporters before kick-off and during the match.
Tempers flared further on the pitch when Fenerbahce took a 2-0 lead, with reports claiming Guendouzi shouted "we're f****ng you" at his opponents.
At full-time, angry Lyon players confronted and shoved the Frenchman. Fenerbahce team-mates including goalkeeper Ederson and striker Romelu Lukaku quickly stepped in to defend him.
As Guendouzi departed the pitch, he reportedly taunted Lyon supporters again by making reference to Marseille, where he previously spent two seasons and made 103 appearances. He ignored attempts by his own team-mates to calm him down as he continued to celebrate.
Reaction and disciplinary threat
Lyon midfielder Corentin Tolisso criticized Guendouzi's conduct following the final whistle. "You have to stay humble in victory, go celebrate that with your team in the locker room," Tolisso said. "Well done, congratulations to them, but there's no real need to do that."
The post-match confrontation is expected to be scrutinized by European football governing body UEFA, with both clubs facing potential disciplinary action over the tunnel clashes.
The incident adds to a long list of controversial moments in Guendouzi's career. Having joined English Premier League side Arsenal in 2018, he was banished from the first-team squad by manager Mikel Arteta in the summer of 2020 following an infamous clash with Brighton player Neal Maupay.
During that fixture at the Amex Stadium during project restart, Guendouzi reportedly taunted Brighton players about their earnings and ability before grabbing Maupay by the throat after the match. He never featured for Arsenal again and was sent on loan to German club Hertha Berlin before joining Marseille.
Trouble had also followed Guendouzi earlier in his career at French club Lorient, where he was excluded from the first-team squad for more than three months following a dressing-room altercation with team-mates.
European draw next
Fenerbahce will now enter the draw for the Champions League league phase on Thursday at 5pm UK time, where the Istanbul club will be placed in pot three. Lyon enter the UEFA Europa League following their aggregate defeat.
