US Edition“My Head’s on Fire” - Wilfried Zaha Offers Explanation After Jean-Philippe Mateta Claims He Laughed at Striker’s Dreams of Playing for France
Wilfried Zaha denies mocking Jean-Philippe Mateta’s France ambitions and calls the claims 'nasty' after Mateta scored his first international goal, sparking a public dispute.
- On Wednesday, Wilfried Zaha, former Crystal Palace winger and current Charlotte FC forward, launched a ferocious social-media rant calling Jean-Philippe Mateta's claims 'disgusting' and 'nasty', denying he mocked Mateta and saying his 'head's on fire' over the allegation.
- Jean-Philippe Mateta told L'Equipe that teammates, including Wilfried Zaha, 'were laughing' when he spoke about playing for France while not playing at Crystal Palace, describing it as friendly banter.
- National coach Didier Deschamps rewarded Mateta by handing him his debut last Friday and a first goal on Monday in the 2-2 Iceland draw, after a strong club run.
- Zaha said the row has left him explaining why 'I don't have football friends' and noted Mateta is yet to publicly respond, while he reported receiving messages accusing him of 'not laughing now' despite his congratulations.
- Zaha's status at Palace — 458 appearances — contrasts with Mateta's role in winning Palace's first major trophy and scoring 36 goals over two seasons, highlighting the spat's significance.
19 Articles
19 Articles
Crystal-Palace-Starstürmer Jean-Philippe Mateta has attracted the wrath of his former team-mate Wilfried Zaha in an interview. "This is disgusting, Zaha scolds about the Frenchman. But in turn! After strong performances at Crystal Palace, the association of the Austrian success coach Oliver Glasner, Jean-Philippe Mateta was convened for the first time a few days ago at 28 years of age in France's team cadre. At 2:2 against Iceland in the world c…
Wilfried Zaha slams 'nasty, disgusting' claim from Crystal Palace's Jean-Philippe Mateta - The Mirror
Wilfried Zaha has hit back at Jean-Philippe Mateta after the Crystal Palace forward claimed his former team-mate "laughed" about his dream of playing for France
Wilfried Zaha blasts former Crystal Palace teammate as he reveals 'this is why I don't have football friends!'
Wilfred Zaha has taken aim at former Crystal Palace teammate Jean-Philippe Mateta after he gave a “disgusting” interview.Zaha left Palace in 2023, after two and a half seasons with Mateta, heading to Galatasaray. The Frenchman earned his first call-up to the French team for the recent World Cup qualifiers and opened up on his time with Zaha.He revealed to L'Equipe: “At Crystal Palace, right at the start, when I wasn’t even playing, I spoke about…
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