Zaha blasts ‘disgusting’ Mateta allegations in public row with former Crystal Palace teammate

Former Crystal Palace star Wilfred Zaha has come out firing over his public dispute with former teammate Jean-Philippe Mateta after being accused of mocking the striker’s chances of featuring for the French national team.

Mateta received his first international call-up and cap for France this month at the age of 28 after becoming a consistent Premier League scorer for Palace, having initially struggled for form and gametime at Selhurst Park.

Speaking to L’Equipe after his call-up, Mateta claimed Zaha was among the teammates who had previously ridiculed his ambitions of one day playing for France, prompting the Ivorian to react strongly to the allegations.

“I’m sorry but my head’s on fire. I’ve got to clear up this Mateta situation because he doesn’t want to,” Zaha said via a video on social media. “I never bullied someone or said someone won’t make it here or won’t make it at all or nothing like that. It’s disgusting when I see someone who I thought was a friend do that.

He added: “Why would he say my name when there was ten people there? Is it just because Zaha is the biggest name? I do not understand. It’s disgusting. I’ve never hated on anyone. Now I’m getting messages: ‘Oh you’re not laughing now at Mateta.’ I couldn’t care less. Well done to him. I even congratulated him publicly on his Instagram.

“So to hear that story come out it’s like what the f***? Did you dislike me this whole time for you to come out with this, your come up story, ‘I’m going to use Zaha as my come up story’? Like it’s nasty man, it’s nasty.”

Mateta: Palace teammates said I was ‘mad’

Zaha clarified that the conversation was had as friends and laughed off due to the presence of players such as Karim Benzema who would make Mateta’s call-up chances difficult but the Charlotte FC winger insisted he ‘never once said you would never ever make it.’

Mateta had spoken about the situation previously, saying: “At Crystal Palace, right at the start, when I wasn’t even playing, I spoke about the France team in the dressing room and I had team-mates like Zaha who were laughing.

“They said that I was mad to think about the France team when I wasn’t even playing at Crystal Palace, but I responded saying that it was my objective and that I simply had to play to show what I could do.

“My dream has always been to play for the France team. I knew that I would get my chance.”

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