Lazio Midfielder Heaps Praise on Former Arsenal Teammate

The Laziali

·2 October 2024

Lazio Midfielder Heaps Praise on Former Arsenal Teammate

Lazio midfielder Matteo Guendouzi has crowned his teammate Nuno Tavares as one of the best left-backs in the continent.

The two players are good friends having played together in the past at Arsenal and then at Olympique Marseille. Hence, the Frenchman was delighted to reunite with the Portuguese defender who sealed a move to the Italian capital in the summer.

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Matteo Guendouzi Hails Nuno Tavares

Ahead of the UEFA Europa League contest against Nice, Guendouzi joined his coach Marco Baroni for the pre-match press conference (via La Lazio Siamo Noi). The 25-year-old took the opportunity to hail Tavares while insisting that Samuel Gigot’s experience will come in handy for the club.

They are two very important players, I played with them for more than one season. I knew that Nuno was one of the best in Europe in his position, he has already provided four assists in Serie A. Samuel will be back soon, his experience and his strength will certainly do us good.

Lazio’s UEFA Europa League Ambitions

Guendouzi believes Lazio have what it takes to go far in the UEFA Europa League, but is now focused on earning a positive result against Nice.

We can go far in this competition, it’s a tough tournament. I even reached the final [with Arsenal in 2018/19]. We have a great team and if we follow the coach’s instructions we can go far. Nice have a very srong team. It will be a very difficult challenge for us. I know their coach very well, he asks for a lot of intensity. He did well at Lens, we will have to focus above all on our plans.

No Comparisons With Last Season

The 25-year-old avoided making comparisons between the current Lazio squad and last season’s team.

It’s a completely different squad. The coach and the team’s philosophy have also changed. So it’s impossible to make comparisons with last season. We’ll judge at the end based on the results. I’m convinced that we can have a good season, also because we have a superb coach.

Guendouzi Focusing on Playing His Role at Lazio

Finally, Guendouzi admits he’d like to become a leader at Lazio and the French national team, although it’s not a priority at the moment.

For me, the important thing is to play my role, but I know what I can do for this team. Nevertheless, we already have many leaders, there is no one who is above the others. The important thing is to do well with the club, then we’ll see what happens with the national team.