Already in conflict during their joint stint at Olympique de Marseille, the Croatian coach, Igor Tudor, and the French midfielder, Mattéo Guendouzi, do not yet seem inclined to bury the hatchet. However, their adventure at Lazio began under the best auspices with very good intentions, since the two men had re-discussed their bickering at the Phocaean City in order to get off to a good start together in Rome. But the reconciliation did not last very long between the French and the Croatian. Indeed, from the first meeting led by Igor Tudor at the Laziali, the former Arsenal and Hertha Berlin player attracted the bad spotlight of the Italian press by celebrating his decisive pass for Adam Marušić against Juventus (1 -0) at the end of the match (90th+3), alone without his teammates, too virulently while shaking his fist towards his bench. It took little for Italian journalists to interpret an underlying message to its new tactician.
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A week later, Mattéo Guendouzi’s great determination collapsed at the worst of times. In the always very particular context of the derby against AS Roma, the Frenchman, aligned as a starter by Igor Tudor, this time cracked. In addition to the defeat (1-0), he distinguished himself by grabbing Dybala by the neck, whose only response was to show his shin guards bearing the image of the 2022 world champions. On this action, the player loaned with an obligation to purchase by OM has lost a lot of credit in the eyes of the Croatian coach. The following weeks were even less encouraging. According to the Italian newspaper Il Messagero, if the midfielder was absent against Salernitana (4-1) in the championship, it is not only due to a physical problem in his calf. Indeed, during a training session, Mattéo Guendouzi complained of pain and stopped the exercise in progress, which Tudor did not appreciate at all. An altercation began between the two men. The French midfielder, disappointed at having been put on the bench, would also have made tactical reproaches to his coach. Mad with rage, he then left the field to return to the locker rooms of the training center.
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Management bangs its fist on the table!
The first sparks of this clash between Tudor and Guendouzi had really worried the management of the Biancocelesti. And inevitably this subject was on everyone’s lips during the last press briefings, to the point that President Claudio Lotito had to clarify things in front of the journalists: “I understand the coach, he has just arrived, he must carry out tests to see how best to organize the team on the pitch. There is no problem Guendouzi. No one can expect to always play all the time, Mattéo must learn to stay calm and serene too because Igor considers it and shows it a lot”, did he declare. Especially since it would be unwise for Lazio to sink into a crisis a few weeks before the end of the season, since the Laziali are still in the running in the Coppa. Indeed, after falling (2-0) in Turin in the first leg, they will meet again this Tuesday evening with Juventus at the Stadio Olimpico. Moreover, Igor Tudor confirmed the reintegration of Guendouzi into the group for this evening’s match.
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Without forgetting the championship, with a meager 7th position, Lazio must finish well over these last five days, in the hope of certainly locking a place in Europe. The sporting director, Angelo Fabiani, also had to answer to the press, promising a closed case: “This is a case that has no reason to exist. The Frenchman was at Lazio long before the coach: do you really believe that the club had not spoken to Tudor to clarify certain aspects? The truth is that Guendouzi had a calf sprain, he is undergoing therapy and working separately, he is an integral part of this project, so it is Tudor who decides whether or not to send him on the field. There are disagreements that are being resolved. He only has a calf strain and is training with those recovering from injuries”. The answers will now have to take place, while the purchase obligation should probably be activated by the three parties next summer…
Pub. THE 04/23/2024 5:02 p.m.
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