Lazio midfielder Matteo Guendouzi is full of praise of coach Marco Baroni and his Biancocelesti teammates. When the Frenchman arrived in Rome in late August 2023, the consensus was: “Yes, good player, but with a particular character.” Guendouzi quickly confirmed the first judgment and categorically disproved the second with exemplary behaviour both on and off the field. Fifteen months after his arrival in the capital, no one remembers the “bad boy” reputation that had (undeservedly) accompanied the early years of his career. Today, Guendouzi is simply one of the strongest and most important players for the surprising Lazio and in the entire Serie A.
In an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, Guendouzi shared his thoughts on his experience in Italy and his ambitions with Lazio. “I’m very comfortable at Lazio and in the Italian league. I’m satisfied with the choice I made,” he said. “Even though I’ve been here for just over a year, I believe I’ve grown a lot as a player. Your league is second only to the Premier League and, from a tactical point of view, it’s the best there is. This is a very important factor, especially for a midfielder.”
Guendouzi’s performances in Italy have earned him a recall to the French national team, a fact he’s particularly proud of. “For me, being there is an enormous satisfaction. For every player, playing for their national team is the ultimate, the childhood dream come true,” he explained.
Reflecting on Lazio’s surprising success this season, Guendouzi credits coach Marco Baroni: “The greatest credit goes to Baroni, no doubt. He’s given us a beautiful and effective style of play, where everyone attacks and everyone defends. The coach has been good at involving every player in the squad. He’s given us enthusiasm, but also an almost perfect organization.”
When asked about Lazio’s ambitions for the season, Guendouzi remains grounded but ambitious: “First of all, we must keep our feet on the ground because we’re still in the early stages and we have very strong opponents both in Serie A and in Europe. That said, we must continue like this without setting limits. I’d rather not talk about objectives, but I’m honest: I’d like to return to the Champions League, so we have to try to finish in the top four.”
Guendouzi also expressed his desire to win a trophy with Lazio: “Both in the Europa League and in the Coppa Italia, we can have our say. With Arsenal, I won the FA Cup and lost a Europa League final; they’re fantastic experiences. I’d love, this year or even in the coming years, to win a trophy with Lazio. I’d be thrilled for the fans who follow us everywhere and obviously for the club too.”
The French midfielder also shared his thoughts on the various leagues he’s played in: “In France, the average quality of individual players is high. Every year new ones come out. In Germany, there’s carefree football because they only think about scoring; the defensive phase is secondary. Serie A is the top league at a tactical level and very balanced. Every match is difficult, even those against teams that come from Serie B. And the Premier is… the Premier, the best there is worldwide, on and off the field. But here in Italy too, there’s an involvement from the people that is equally beautiful.”
Guendouzi concluded the interview with a light-hearted nod to his Italian-sounding first name: “When people point it out to me, I reply that all roads lead to Rome… Evidently, Italy was in my destiny from the beginning.”
