The emotion was palpable Wednesday evening at the Olympic stadium in Rome. The home of the Lazio football club. With tears in his eyes, French international Mattéo Guendouzi went around the field to greet the supporters and in particular the fans present in the Curva Nord.
Arriving in Rome in August 2023, the former Marseillais, still in the race to play the 2026 World Cup with Didier Deschamps’ Blues, played on Wednesday against Fiorentina during the 19th day of the Serie (2-2), his last match with the club. The information was made official by the coach after the meeting.
“He is one of the seven, eight players who we were counting on to build the future of this team, but the leaders received an offer that they could not refuse,” explained coach Maurizio Sarri at a press conference.
“There is the truth on the ground and the economic truth of this club, I understand the decision of my leaders,” continued Sarri, who did not reveal the name of Guendouzi’s next club.
The club also made the departure official with a publication on its social networks with a message in French: “Thank you for everything, Guendo”.
According to the Italian press, the Frenchman will join Fenerbahçe, ready to pay between 25 and 28 million euros to recruit him.
Lazio, whose recruitment ban pronounced last summer by the supervisory authority for Serie A clubs was lifted at the end of December, paid 13 million euros to OM to bring him.
Since his arrival, first on loan, from Marseille, the French midfielder, highly appreciated by the leaders and tifosis “laziale”, has played 111 matches in all competitions in the Lazio jersey (six goals).
