Chaos in Lyon after Fener qualifies as Guendouzi provokes home fans and sparks tunnel brawl

Chaos erupted in Lyon after Fenerbahçe secured a place in the UEFA Champions League, with Matteo Guendouzi at the centre of a post-match scandal that saw clashes on the pitch and in the tunnel.

Fenerbahçe advanced after a 2:1 win in the second leg in Lyon, following a 1:1 draw in Istanbul, marking the Turkish club's return to the Champions League for the first time in 18 years.

Vedat Muriqi and Archie Brown scored for Fenerbahçe, while Malik Fofana's second-half goal for Lyon proved insufficient to overturn the deficit. The fixture, however, will be remembered more for the disorder after the final whistle than for the goals.

Tensions spill over

Guendouzi—who previously played for Marseille, Lyon's fiercest domestic rival—was repeatedly jeered during the match and earlier gave the home supporters the middle finger during the warm-up, according to footage circulating online. His teammates tried to calm him and pull him away as tempers rose.

Shortly after the game, Guendouzi shouted into a camera "Go Marseille", which further inflamed the atmosphere. Video clips on social media also show a Lyon staff member confronting the French midfielder as he walked toward the tunnel, prompting intervention from security and staff from both clubs.

A scuffle broke out inside the tunnel between the squads; it is not clear from the available footage which individual confronted Guendouzi. The incident adds to a string of emotionally charged encounters in recent high-stakes European ties, and footage of the melee is driving debate about appropriate conduct and potential disciplinary measures.

Photo: press material from the event