Jean-Philippe Mateta has ended his mini feud with former teammate Wilfried Zaha, revealing that the two players have spoken about the incident and put it all behind them.
Mateta got his Premier League season firing on Saturday when he smashed a superb hat-trick in a thrilling 3-3 draw with Bournemouth at Selhurst Park. He even missed a glorious chance to notch four on the day, missing in the 100th minute having only equalised from the penalty spot two minutes earlier.
Things had come to a head between the current Crystal Palace striker and former Eagle Zaha over comments that appear to have been made when the pair shared a dressing room at Selhurst Park.
Mateta's problem
Jean-Philippe Mateta Crystal Palace
In an interview with l'Equipe last week, Mateta said: "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.
“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.”
Mateta made his first appearances for the France senior team during the October international break, scoring his first goal in the 2-2 draw with Iceland. The Palace man was clearly very proud of the achievement, as he should be, but Zaha was furious with his name being mentioned.
Zaha hits back
Zaha
Speaking on his social media platform, Zaha 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 ‘s***’. 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.
“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. That it’s going to be difficult, especially with Benzema, all these different players playing in those positions.
“But we never ever once said you’re never going to make it.
“Wouldn’t you be shocked if this person has made out that there’s some sort of hate from me? Why would he say my name? When there was 10 people there. Is it because Zaha is the biggest name?
“I do not understand, it’s disgusting. I’ve never hated on anyone. So now I’m getting messages, ‘oh you’re not laughing now about 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 the whole time? For you to come out with this, your come up story, I’m going to use Zaha as my come up story.
“It’s nasty, man. It is nasty.
“This is why I don’t have football friends. This is why I keep myself to myself because how’s he going to do that?”
Feud put to bed
Jean-Philippe Mateta celebrates scoring his first goal for France
Jean-Philippe Mateta celebrates scoring his first goal for France
Mateta has cooled any feeling of ill-will between the pair, however. Speaking in a press conference ahead of Palace's UEFA Conference League clash with AEK Larnaca on Thursday, the Frenchman issued a 14-word statement on the situation, saying: "I spoke with him and everything is good. We spoke in private, that's all."
That was indeed all, with any further questions on the matter shut down in the press conference, with Mateta and manager Oliver Glasner instead focusing on the match at hand.