Crystal Palace forward Jean-Philippe Mateta insists he and Wilfried Zaha have cleared the air after their public spat last week.
Mateta made headlines last week when he scored his first goal for the France national team. The talented forward after the match said that team-mates at Palace had laughed at his dream of playing for his country, and named Zaha as one of the players involved in the mockery.
This statement led to a furious response from the Zaha who denied the claim, insisting that he would never take aim at a team-mate in such a way.
Manchester United’s Luke Shaw gets in between Crystal Palace’s Jean-Philippe Mateta and Wilfried Zaha (Photo by Rob Newell – CameraSport via Getty Images)
He said: “My head’s on fire. I have to clear up this Mateta situation. Because he doesn’t want to. I spoke to him and he doesn’t want to, he’s okay with it. This just shows me, all the time I played for Crystal Palace, people watching me, it’s clear that they weren’t happy for me.
“Because I never made anyone feel like ‘sh*t’. I never… everyone knows me. The only time on the pitch is when I’m passionate and all that stuff. But I’d never bully someone or say someone won’t make it here or won’t make it at all or nothing like that. It’s disgusting when I see someone that I thought was a friend do that.”
Now, the Palace striker has insisted that pair have spoken, with Mateta preparing for the Eagles’ clash with AEK Larnaca in the UEFA Conference League, and that the air has been firmly cleared.
He said: “I spoke with him, everything is good. We talked in private and that’s it.”
Mateta has also confirmed his desire to keep playing for France, with his sights set on the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. He added: “I am very proud of myself. I am very happy. I think I deserved it because I train very hard with all of the team. It’s a dream come true and I hope I get called upon again.”
Palace play Larnaca in Europe on Thursday before they return to Premier League action this weekend against Arsenal at the Emirates.
Mateta is coming off the back of a hat-trick for the Eagles against Bournemouth at the weekend and will be eager to continue his good form in front of goal.
