‘It was love at first sight’ – Mattéo Guendouzi on his time at Marseille | OneFootball

Mattéo Guendouzi (24) has opened up on his spell at Olympique de Marseille, which came to an end at the start of the season, with the Frenchman joining Lazio.

Having joined on an initial loan deal from Arsenal, Guendouzi made the move permanent in the summer of 2022. Over the course of his two years at the Vélodrome, he made 103 appearances for Les Phocéens, scoring 10 goals and registering 19 assists. However, OM’s strategy of offloading players, often after just two seasons, put pay to his time at the French side.

Guendouzi has thrived since making the move to Italy. He quickly established himself as a key figure under Maurizio Sarri, which has allowed him to work his way back into the France squad for the first time since the 2022 Qatar World Cup. With Les Bleus set to face Chile at the Vélodrome on Tuesday, Guendouzi is preparing for his return to Marseille, which in an interview with Le Parisien, he described as a “love affair”.

“I’ll always say it, with Marseille, it was love at first sight, a real heart stopper, in terms of the city and its supporters. From the opening matches at home and away, I felt a fervour that I will never find anywhere else. That’s why everyone said that I was made for the club. I felt at home right from the start […] when I went to the restaurant, did my shopping, went for a walk, at every moment, I felt the supporters’ love and I will be forever grateful to them,” said the former Arsenal midfielder, who was adopted as Marseillais, despite his Parisian origins.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle