Matteo Guendouzi is full of praise for Maurizio Sarri and Lazio for helping him develop and ‘learn so much every day’ on a tactical level, but won’t temper his ‘volcanic’ personality too much after problems at Arsenal. ‘I have no regrets.’
The 24-year-old is more well-travelled than most and has already played in four different countries, joining Lazio from Olympique Marseille over the summer.
He has flourished under Sarri’s guidance and gives the coach much of the credit for this development in his game.
“I have had six months with Sarri but it looks like I’ve done one or two years because I learn so much with him every day in training,” Guendouzi told The Athletic.
“Tactically, I know what I have to do on the pitch. Now it feels automatic. It’s very good to work with him because he’s an amazing coach.
“I remember losing the final of the Europa League when he was at Chelsea and I was at Arsenal in 2019. I’ve learned a lot because when you are a young footballer in France, it’s more about the individual side and less about the collective. Whereas here in Italy and under Sarri, I learn a lot tactically. It was very important to learn this side of football.
“Every league is very different. Italy is more about the tactical side of the game. In France, Germany and England it’s more about offensive football, there’s more space to play — but in Italy, it’s more difficult to score because the teams are very organised. Each game is very difficult. That’s why it’s very difficult to qualify for next season’s Champions League.”
Guendouzi also impressed the Lazio faithful with his passionate approach, even if sometimes it can get a little over the top, as for instance he was sent off and handed a two-match ban for the reaction foul against Milan’s Christian Pulisic.
“I’ve always been like this, even since I was seven or eight years old. When I was losing a game, I was always screaming. This is my mentality. When I come on the pitch, I always want to win.
“That’s why I am lucky because I play for big clubs and you need to have this mentality if you want to play at the highest level. It’s part of my personality. When I go onto the pitch, it’s to win — it’s not to draw or lose.
“That’s why sometimes, when I’m in the game, I show some reaction because you are totally focused on the game and you are just thinking about the victory, to help the team, and I’ll always be like this. And it’s important to stay like this.
“The older you are and the more you learn, you become calmer than before, but I want to keep this mentality: to fight on the pitch and to always want to win. That’s the most important thing.”
The midfielder was known more for his fiery clashes off and on the field at Arsenal than for his performances, including disciplinary action for an infamous row with Brighton and Hove Albion players.
“I have no regrets about what I did at Arsenal. I was 19 and I went on to play 85 games in two years,” he responds.
“A lot of things can happen on the pitch and sometimes some players say some things you don’t accept and that’s why we had some problems when we played this game against Brighton. But that’s in the past, I’m just focused on the future.
“I was 19, so I was learning every day. I wouldn’t make the same mistakes I did when I was 19. But in football, every day you learn and mistakes are part of football. Mistakes are part of life. You become a better man and a better footballer with mistakes. For me, it was a very good club because I played a lot.”
🗣️ "No regrets about what I did at Arsenal"
👤 Working under Sarri, Emery, Sampaoli and Arteta
🇫🇷 Bid to win a France recall for Euro 2024Matteo Guendouzi on why he'll always "fight on the pitch and want to win".
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— The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) March 5, 2024