Fenerbahçe qualified for the Champions League after beating Lyon in the play-offs, but there was little time to celebrate after the match, as chaos erupted on the pitch. The match ended in a massive brawl involving both teams, which began with a provocation by Matteo Guendouzi, who has never forgotten his years at Marseille and the rivalry between the two French clubs: the former Lazio player went to celebrate in front of the opposing fans' stands, causing the incidents that followed.
A few provocative gestures were enough to break out the fight on the pitch, which culminated in a real clash in the locker room tunnel, but the tension had already increased before the match, when Guendouzi had shown the middle finger to the French fans: between Marseille and Lyon there is a historic rivalry that the midfielder rekindled from afar, but his provocations could cost him a few games in suspension and partially ruin the Turks' return to the Champions League, a competition in which they had not qualified for 18 years.
guendouzi DOVUş pic.twitter.com/soFe3aqZ8K
— memō???? (@edin9makina) August 26, 2026
How the clash broke out
Even before the match, the atmosphere was not calm, because Guendouzi immediately recalled the rivalry with Marseille and began to mock the Lyon fans in their home. In the end, Fenerbahçe won and secured qualification for the Champions League, and it was at that moment that the situation got out of control: the former Lazio player approached the opposing fans' stands to provoke them and was joined by Archie Brown, a scene that did not go down well with the home players, who began to argue in the middle of the pitch. The midfielder made a series of provocative gestures to the fans, while chaos erupted behind him.
? Lyon-Fenerbahçe after the match, the TV's reflected image of the fight in the corridor! pic.twitter.com/3H44ZTUOgU
— Spor Bülteni (@sporbultenicom) August 26, 2026
The worst part came in the locker room tunnel, where the real fight broke out: Lyon fans wanted to attack Guendouzi and some officials were even filmed approaching Fenerbahçe players in a threatening manner, who were doing everything they could to protect their teammate. There were moments of great tension, including punches and slaps, and it took several minutes to calm the situation and bring everything back under control, stopping the chase that had begun after the Frenchman's provocations.
