France team: Guendouzi, checked without a license in Paris, gets away with a ranking without follow-up
Adored by Marseille fans for his temperament and his experience despite his young age, Mattéo Guendouzi, the 23-year-old midfielder, is also skilled in the legal field. Last Thursday in Paris, he escaped prosecution, after having been checked without a license while driving a Mercedes, on the Champs-Élysées. It is 2:30 p.m., the police ask the international tricolor to stop. They pass his license on file and it appears that his precious sesame has been suspended by the prefect of police of Marseille, since a speeding dating from April 11, the day after the success (2-0) of the Olympians against Montpellier.
He is therefore summoned to come and explain himself to the police station. « He said that in good faith, he was not aware that he was driving without a license, » said a source familiar with the matter. « He even recently received his points tally, which is what he showed the police, » said a source close to the player.
His license suspension had been sent to OM headquarters
After some research, the investigators were able to see that this suspension, notified on May 15, was sent… to OM headquarters and not to the player’s home. It is therefore not he who received this letter in person. « He receives several hundred letters every week, so it’s normal that he didn’t necessarily know about them, » says a source close to the player.
The prosecutor’s office therefore had no choice but to dismiss the case for an uncharacterized offence. “But now, this six-month license suspension is effective, he knows it, so he no longer has the right to drive”, continues this same source close to the file.
Mattéo Guendouzi was able to join the Blues in Clairefontaine (Yvelines) to prepare for the four June matches for the League of Nations. “This case is in the private domain, I do not even understand that we are talking about it, there are much more important subjects than that”, sweeps the father of the player, who takes care of the interests of his son. The OM international, for his part, did not wish to speak.
