Palace Icon Fiery Response To Mateta Comments

Crystal Palace Fallout Sparks Debate Over Dressing Room Banter

Rising Tensions Between Zaha and Mateta

Crystal Palace supporters are used to fire on the pitch, not in the press. Yet two of the club’s most recognisable forwards, Wilfried Zaha and Jean-Philippe Mateta, have been trading words off it. The flashpoint arrived after Mateta’s recent international breakthrough with France, a reward for his 50-goal haul in south London. Reflecting on his journey, he claimed former Palace team-mates scoffed at his ambition to represent his country.

“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 Wilfried Zaha who were laughing,” he told L’Equipe.

Photo: IMAGO

That comment cut deep for Zaha, who wasted little time in offering an emotional response online. “I’m sorry, but my head’s on fire. I’ve got to clear up this Mateta situation because he doesn’t want to, and this just shows me that.”

Zaha’s Defence of His Character

Zaha, a player long defined by passion, felt the accusation misrepresented him. His rebuttal was firm and personal.

“See the times when I was playing at Crystal Palace and all these people were watching me, and it’s clear they weren’t happy for me because I never made anyone feel like s***. I never… Everyone knows me, the only time on a pitch is when I’m passionate and all of that stuff, but 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 went further, suggesting Mateta had twisted a dressing room exchange into something more sinister than it truly was.

Palace Banter or Personal Betrayal

Zaha insisted there was no malice, only typical football humour shared among friends. “The conversation that was had was his chances of playing for France way back when he wasn’t playing for Palace and there were 10 players that he had this conversation with and as friends, we laughed it off, but we were joking around, [saying] that it is going to be difficult, especially with [Karim] Benzema all these different players playing in those positions. But we never ever once said, ‘You’re never going to make it.’

“So wouldn’t you be shocked, especially with football banter with your mates? Wouldn’t you be shocked if this person asked this to 10 people?”

The issue for Zaha is not doubt over Mateta’s ambition, but being singled out. “Why would he say my name when there was 10 people there? Is it just because Zaha is the biggest name? I do not understand. It’s disgusting. I’ve never hated on anyone.”

Crystal Palace Legacy Now Under Spotlight

This public clash between two high-profile Palace figures has left fans questioning where admiration ends and resentment begins. Zaha even suggested Mateta may have used the controversy to elevate his profile.

“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.

“This is why I don’t have football friends, this is why I keep myself to myself, because how is he going to do that?”

Two Crystal Palace favourites are now locked in a public disagreement fuelled by pride, legacy and the fine line between motivation and mockery. Mateta’s rise to France duty should have been a moment of unity, instead it has reopened difficult questions about friendship in football.