Mattéo Guendouzi Explained

Mattéo Guendouzi
Full Name:Mattéo Elias Kenzo Guendouzi Olié[1]
Birth Date:14 April 1999[2]
Birth Place:Poissy, France
Height:1.85 m[3]
Position:Midfielder
Currentclub:Lazio
Clubnumber:8
Youthyears1:2005–2014
Youthclubs1:Paris Saint-Germain
Youthyears2:2014–2016
Youthclubs2:Lorient
Years1:2016–2018
Clubs1:Lorient B
Caps1:24
Goals1:0
Years2:2016–2018
Clubs2:Lorient
Caps2:26
Goals2:0
Years3:2018–2022
Clubs3:Arsenal
Caps3:57
Goals3:0
Years4:2020–2021
Clubs4:Hertha BSC (loan)
Caps4:24
Goals4:2
Years5:2021–2022
Clubs5:Marseille (loan)
Caps5:38
Goals5:4
Years6:2022–2024
Clubs6:Marseille
Caps6:35
Goals6:2
Years7:2023–2024
Clubs7:Lazio (loan)
Caps7:33
Goals7:2
Years8:2024–
Clubs8:Lazio
Caps8:1
Goals8:0
Nationalyears1:2016–2017
Nationalteam1:France U18
Nationalcaps1:7
Nationalgoals1:0
Nationalyears2:2017
Nationalteam2:France U19
Nationalcaps2:2
Nationalgoals2:1
Nationalyears3:2017–2018
Nationalteam3:France U20
Nationalcaps3:3
Nationalgoals3:1
Nationalyears4:2018–2021
Nationalteam4:France U21
Nationalcaps4:20
Nationalgoals4:1
Nationalyears5:2021–
Nationalteam5:France
Nationalcaps5:8
Nationalgoals5:1
Club-Update:23:32, 18 August 2024 (UTC)
Nationalteam-Update:18:03, 27 March 2024 (UTC)

Mattéo Elias Kenzo Guendouzi Olié (pronounced as /fr/; born 14 April 1999) is a French professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for club Lazio and the France national team.

Club career

Early career

Guendouzi started his career at the academy of Paris Saint-Germain at the age of 6. He left Paris to join Lorient's academy in 2014. After representing the Lorient reserve team, he was promoted to the first team in 2016.

Lorient

Guendouzi made his debut for Lorient on 15 October 2016, in the Ligue 1 match against Nantes in a 1–2 defeat. He played nine times in all competitions,[4] during his debut season of 2016–17 as Lorient were relegated to the second tier at the end of the season.[5] [6]

In the 2017–18 season, Guendouzi featured 21 times for Lorient as they missed out on promotion, finishing seventh in Ligue 2.[7]

Arsenal

On 11 July 2018, during the summer transfer window, it was announced that Guendouzi had joined Premier League club Arsenal for an undisclosed fee, believed to be in the region of £7 million, plus bonuses.[8] Head coach Unai Emery said: "He is a talented young player and a lot of clubs were interested in him. He has big potential and gained good first-team experience last season with Lorient. He wants to learn and improve and will be an important part of our first-team squad".[9] On 12 August 2018, Guendouzi made his Premier League debut in Arsenal's opening fixture of the season against defending Champions Manchester City where he made 72 touches, the most for his team. They lost the match 0–2.[10] Guendouzi scored the first professional goal of his career on 4 October 2018, rounding off the scoring in Arsenal's 3–0 away win over Qarabağ, a low drive from just inside the penalty area, after an assist from Alexandre Lacazette.[11] On 29 May 2019, Guendouzi came off the bench in the Europa League final against Chelsea, which Arsenal lost 4–1.[12]

On 20 June 2020, following a post-match altercation with Brighton player Neal Maupay, Guendouzi was excluded from Arsenal training and left out of the club's match-day squads due to a history of issues with his "attitude and general conduct."[13]

Loan to Hertha BSC

On 5 October 2020, Arsenal announced that Guendouzi would be loaned out to Hertha BSC for the duration of the 2020–21 season.[14] On 1 November 2020, Guendouzi made his debut in a 1–1 draw against VfL Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga.[15] On 12 December 2020, he scored his first goal for the club and in the Bundesliga against Borussia Mönchengladbach, the game ended in a 1–1 draw.[16]

Marseille

On 6 July 2021, it was announced that Guendouzi was being loaned out to Ligue 1 club Marseille for the 2021–22 Ligue 1 season. The deal included an option-to-buy depending on certain conditions being met.[17] He enjoyed a good start to his Marseille career, quickly gaining the appreciation of fans through both his play,[18] and his personality in standing up for the team - including during a match against Nice, when he protected team-mate Dimitri Payet from fans who rushed onto the pitch, gaining strangle marks on his neck in the process.

On 1 July 2022, it was confirmed that Marseille had activated the option-to-buy clause for a reported £9 million.[19] [20] On 15 August 2023, Guendouzi came off the bench in the 68th minute during the second leg match against Panathinaikos in the Champions League third qualifying round with his team had a 2–0 lead; however, he gave away a penalty in the stoppage time which equaled the tie 2–2, before missing the first penalty in the shootouts which ended in a 3–5 defeat and elimination from the competition.[21]

Lazio

On 31 August 2023, the deadline day of the summer transfer window, Guendouzi joined Serie A club Lazio on a season-long loan,[22] [23] with the deal including a reported €15 million option-to-buy, plus €3 million in add-ons, which could be turned into a mandatory purchase depending on certain conditions being met.

On 21 April 2024, as per reports from multiple sources, such as Calciomercato.com & TMW, the management at Lazio decided to secure Guendouzi's services from the French club Marseille, after activating his conditional buyout clause. To activate the stated clause, Lazio were to at least required to finish twelfth in the current Serie A table, which the club did so, after successfully triumphing 1-0 over Genoa two days earlier, on 19th April.[24] [25]

International career

Guendouzi was born in a suburb of Paris, France. He has represented France at levels up to France U20s.[7] With partial Moroccan heritage, Guendouzi was approached by Morocco manager Hervé Renard in 2017 to change allegiances to play for the Morocco national team. However, after Guendouzi's father met Renard in March 2017, Guendouzi decided to remain and pledge allegiance to France.[26]

On 2 September 2019, Guendouzi was called up to the French senior side for the first time to replace the injured Paul Pogba for UEFA Euro 2020 qualifiers against Albania and Andorra.[27] However, he was an unused substitute in both matches. Guendouzi was recalled to the France side on 1 September 2021, to replace the injured Corentin Tolisso for World Cup Qualification matches against Bosnia, Ukraine and Finland.[28] He made his debut on 16 November 2021 in a World Cup qualifier against Finland.[29] On 29 March 2022, he scored his first goal for France in a 5–0 friendly win over South Africa.[30]

Playing style

Guendouzi has a hatred for losing, an attitude and mentality which he accredits his success as professional player; although he has been accused of letting his competitive nature get the better of him.[31] After receiving a red card whilst playing for Lazio against AC Milan in March 2024, he said that his abhorrent attitude to defeat was a part of his early life; showing "some reaction" comes as a result of focusing on the game and playing to win – "not to draw or lose". Emmanuel Petit described Guendouzi's personality as "volcanic"; his high-profile disciplinary incidents whilst playing in England gave the him the reputation of a player that lacks self-control.[32]

Personal life

Guendouzi has a Moroccan father and French mother. He has a brother called Milan, who is also a footballer.[33]

Guendouzi is married to Mae and their first child, a daughter, was born in May 2021.[34]

Career statistics

Club

[35]

Club!rowspan="2"
SeasonLeagueNational cupLeague cupEuropeOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Lorient B2015–16CFA6060
2016–17CFA170170
2017–18Championnat National 21010
Total240240
Lorient2016–17Ligue 180100090
2017–18Ligue 21801020210
Total2602020300
Arsenal2018–19Premier League3301030111481
2019–20Premier League240301060340
Total5704040171821
Hertha BSC (loan)2020–21Bundesliga24200242
Marseille (loan)2021–22Ligue 138440141565
Marseille2022–23Ligue 13324162435
2023–24Ligue 1202040
Total7368122310310
Lazio (loan)2023–24Serie A332418010463
Lazio2024–25Serie A10000010
Total342418010473
Career total23810182604741031016

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year!National team!!Year!!Apps!!Goals
France202110
202261
202410
Total81

France score listed first, score column indicates score after each Guendouzi goal.

Honours

Arsenal

2019–20

2020

France

2020–21[37]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: List of Players under Written Contract Registered Between 01/07/2018 and 31/07/2018 . The Football Association . 15 . 26 August 2019 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20191024160503/http://www.thefa.com/-/media/files/thefaportal/governance-docs/registrations/july-2018.ashx . 24 October 2019.
    News: Matteo Guendouzi . L'Équipe . Paris . 2 February 2019 . fr.
  2. Web site: Matteo Guendouzi . Ligue de Football Professionnel . 2 February 2019 . fr.
  3. Web site: Matteo Guendouzi . 10 June 2022 . Olympique de Marseille . 2 July 2022 .
  4. Web site: Matteo Guendouzi in 2016/2017 . Soccerbase . 9 July 2018 . 9 July 2018.
  5. Web site: Troyes promoted to Ligue 1 . beIN SPORTS Australia . 28 May 2017 . 25 July 2018 .
  6. Web site: French Football League – FC LORIENT . Ligue1.com . 25 July 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180709185153/https://www.ligue1.com/club/fc-lorient . 9 July 2018 . dead .
  7. Web site: Arsenal in talks with France U20 midfielder Matteo Guendouzi. Sky Sports . 9 July 2018 . 9 July 2018.
  8. Web site: Who is Matteo Guendouzi? The French teenage wonderkids who has joined Arsenal . Chris . Wheatley . Goal. 11 July 2018 . 25 July 2018.
  9. Web site: Matteo Guendouzi joins the club. Arsenal F.C.. 11 July 2018. 25 July 2018.
  10. News: Arsenal 0–2 Man City: Unai Emery's opener is a reality check for Arsenal. 12 August 2018. BBC Sport. 13 August 2018.
  11. Web site: Henry . Matthew . Qarabag 0–3 Arsenal: Emile Smith Rowe scores first goal in Europa League win . BBC Sport . 4 October 2018 . 19 December 2018.
  12. News: Chelsea beat Arsenal to win Europa League. en-GB. BBC Sport. 11 February 2021.
  13. News: Ornstein . David . Guendouzi hasn't trained with Arsenal first team for two.... The New York Times . 18 July 2020. subscription.
  14. News: Matteo Guendouzi joins Hertha Berlin on loan . Arsenal F.C. . 5 October 2020 . 5 October 2020.
  15. Web site: Hertha Berlin rue missed chances in draw with unbeaten Wolfsburg. 11 February 2021. bundesliga.com - the official Bundesliga website. en.
  16. Web site: Breel Embolo earns Gladbach a point after Matteo Guendouzi opens Hertha Berlin account. 11 February 2021. bundesliga.com - the official Bundesliga website. en.
  17. Web site: Matteo Guendouzi: Marseille complete loan signing of midfielder from Arsenal. 7 July 2021. Sky Sports. en.
  18. Web site: Law. Joshua. 31 August 2021. Arsenal fans look away, Guendouzi and Saliba are shining at Marseille. 1 September 2021. Planet Football. en-US.
  19. Web site: Matteo Guendouzi joins Olympique Marseille. www.arsenal.com. 1 July 2022. 1 July 2022.
  20. Web site: Arsenal midfielder Matteo Guendouzi joins Marseille in permanent deal. BBC Sport. 1 July 2022. 1 July 2022.
  21. Web site: Matteo Guendouzi cancels out ex-Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's heroics with two blunders to cost Marseille Champions League . talkSPORT . 16 August 2023 .
  22. Web site: 31 August 2023 . Matteo Guendouzi è un nuovo calciatore biancoceleste . 31 August 2023 . S.S. Lazio . it-IT.
  23. Web site: Torrisi . Antonio . 31 August 2023 . Guendouzi alla Lazio: è ufficiale, arriva in prestito dal Marsiglia . 31 August 2023 . Goal.com . it-IT.
  24. Web site: Admin . 2024-04-21 . OFFICIAL: Lazio redeem Matteo Guendouzi . 2024-05-02 . FootItalia.com . en-US.
  25. Web site: 2024-02-15 . Confirmed Transfer: Lazio signs Matteo Guendouzi. . 2024-05-02 . OneFootball . en.
  26. Web site: Scoulino . Maroc : Renard tourne la page de Guendouzi . Morocco: Renard turns the page of Guendouzi . Orange Football Club . 18 February 2020 . fr . 1 March 2017.
  27. Web site: Bleus : Mattéo Guendouzi appelé à la place de Paul Pogba, forfait. L'Équipe. 2 September 2019 . 2 September 2019.
  28. Web site: 1 September 2021. Injured Kante and Tolisso to miss France World Cup qualifiers. 1 September 2021. Reuters. en.
  29. Web site: FIFA. Finland v France game report. 16 November 2021. 30 November 2021.
  30. Web site: France vs. South Africa . 29 March 2022 . ESPN.
  31. Web site: Burrows . Tom . 5 March 2024 . Matteo Guendouzi: 'When I was losing a game, I was always screaming – this is my mentality' . subscription . 7 March 2024 . The Athletic.
  32. Web site: Young . Alex . 14 November 2020 . Matteo Guendouzi told his Arsenal career 'is over' after discipline problems . 7 March 2024 . Evening Standard.
  33. Web site: Hurley. Lee. 18 August 2019. Meet Matteo Guendouzi's little brother Milan. 10 February 2021. Daily Cannon.
  34. Web site: Matteo Guendouzi Wife - Mae Rfsk. 11 February 2021. ohmyfootball.com. 3 January 2021 . en.
  35. Web site: M. Guendouzi: Summary . Soccerway . Perform Group . 24 September 2023.
  36. News: Chelsea 4–1 Arsenal . Chris . Bevan . BBC Sport . 29 May 2019 . 29 May 2019.
  37. Web site: France beat Spain to win Nations League . UEFA . 10 October 2021. 10 October 2021.
  38. News: Argentina 3–3 France . Phil . McNulty . BBC Sport . 18 December 2022 . 18 December 2022.