UEFA Investigates Mason Greenwood and Matteo Guendouzi After Champions League Chaos
UEFA has opened disciplinary proceedings against Mason Greenwood and Matteo Guendouzi after Fenerbahce’s stormy Champions League play-off win over Lyon in France.
The second leg at the Groupama Stadium, a 2-1 victory for the Turkish side at the end of August, descended into chaos after the final whistle, with confrontations on the pitch and in the tunnel drawing the attention of European football’s governing body.
Tunnel chaos under UEFA spotlight
Greenwood is being investigated over his involvement in the post-match clashes, while Guendouzi stands accused of provoking Lyon supporters as he left the field at full-time.
What began as verbal exchanges quickly escalated. The confrontation continued down the tunnel, dragging in players and staff from both sides. In the middle of the melee, a figure in what appeared to be a Lyon tracksuit burst into view and seemed to launch a flying kick at Guendouzi.
Greenwood, the former Manchester United forward, also found himself in the thick of it as several Lyon supporters tried to push onto the pitch during Fenerbahce’s celebrations, adding to the sense of disorder on a night that should have been about qualification.
Fenerbahce have now confirmed UEFA’s intervention.
Fenerbahce vow to defend players
In a statement, the club announced that disciplinary action had been initiated against both players and the club itself following the second leg of the play-off round.
“Following the UEFA Champions League Play-Off Round second-leg match, a disciplinary process has been initiated by UEFA concerning our players Matteo Guendouzi and Mason Greenwood, as well as our Club.
“Our Club will present the necessary defences before the relevant UEFA committees to protect the rights and interests of both our players and Fenerbahce. All required information, documents, and defences will be submitted to UEFA, and developments are being closely monitored by our Club. We present this to the public for information.”
The message was clear: Fenerbahce intend to stand firmly behind their squad as UEFA’s investigation unfolds.
Guendouzi: “That really gets to you”
Guendouzi later explained the depth of his anger, pointing the finger squarely at the home support.
“You know, when you've got 60,000 people insulting your family, your mum, your children – even before the match – and nobody from the refereeing team tells the stadium to be quiet,” he said.
“Because I know that in France, when this sort of thing happens, there comes a point where they'll speak to the supporters and the match might be stopped. For 90 minutes – even longer if you count the warm-up – they were insulting my family.
“That really gets to you. If you want to banter, then it goes both ways. They insulted my mum and my family; to me, that was disrespectful.”
Head coach Ismail Kartal backed his midfielder without hesitation.
“As a team we all stood together to support Guendouzi. Support was provided. That is what teamwork is all about.”
Greenwood’s new chapter under scrutiny
Away from the flashpoint, Greenwood has helped Fenerbahce return to the Champions League main draw for the first time since 2009. The Turkish giants have been placed in a demanding league phase alongside AS Roma, Aston Villa, Slavia Praha, Liverpool, Shakhtar Donetsk, LASK, Villarreal and Atletico Madrid.
With Manchester United also back in the competition, the possibility lingers of Greenwood facing his former club later in the season – but only if both sides navigate the new league format successfully.
Greenwood joined Fenerbahce from Marseille on a four-year deal in July. His move was supposed to mark a fresh start on the pitch.
Now that new chapter already carries a UEFA case number.
