After Olympique Marseille's 2-1 away victory over Olympique Lyonnais in the Champions League play-off second leg, Marseille's Guendouzi defended his provocative celebration after the match, saying that Olympique Lyonnais fans had been insulting him throughout the game.

After the final whistle, Guendouzi shouted "Allez Olympique Marseille" toward the camera and performed the Jul gesture in front of the Olympique Lyonnais fans. His actions heightened tensions at the Groupama Stadium, with the atmosphere on the pitch and in the players' tunnel remaining tense for a period after Marseille's 2-1 away victory in the Champions League play-off second leg.

Guendouzi explained in the mixed zone after the match: "You know, when 60,000 people insult your family, your mother, your children—even before the match starts—and no one from the refereeing team tells the stadium to be quiet... because I know that in France, when something like this happens, someone will talk to the fans, and the match might even be suspended. For 90 minutes, and even longer if you count the warm-up, they kept insulting my family. This kind of thing hurts."

Guendouzi described the situation as "mutual banter." The midfielder, who played for Olympique Marseille from 2021 to 2023, then defended his celebration: "If you want to banter, it should be reciprocal. They insulted my mother and family, which I find very disrespectful. After that, if we can't even celebrate the way we want, I think it's shameful. Everyone knows I support Olympique Marseille; I've never hidden it. This is banter—they insulted my family, and if I can't even do the Jul gesture after that, then what's the point? I've also seen Olympique Lyonnais players celebrate in front of the away fans at the Vélodrome. It should be reciprocal. In my opinion, I have the right to celebrate. The Jul gesture has no malicious intent."

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