Mattéo Guendouzi (24) has praised former manager Maurizio Sarri, whom he credits for developing his tactical game at Serie A side Lazio.
Former Arsenal and Olympique de Marseille midfielder Guendouzi joined Lazio in the summer after two years at the Vélodrome. He quickly established himself as a key figure at the Italian side and he has already made 41 appearances in all competitions. His form since leaving Marseille has seen him earn his first call-up to the France national team since the 2022 Qatar World Cup and he could be in line to feature for Les Bleus against Chile, at the Vélodrome on Tuesday.
Whilst Sarri has since resigned from his role at Lazio, Guendouzi was high in his praise for the departed Italian. “I worked with Sarri, a really great coach. He had high expectations, like Unai Emery, Mikel Arteta, Jorge Sampaoli and Igor Tudor. In seven months at Lazio, he brought me a lot, notably tactically. Before, I was less disciplined. I tended to spread myself around, to run everywhere. Now, I position myself better on the pitch. My efforts are more measured,” he told Le Parisien.
Guendouzi added that he was “surprised” by Sarri’s resignation earlier this month. However, he said that the Italian’s choice has to be “respected”. Sarri has been replaced by Tudor, with whom Guendouzi worked for one season at Marseille.
