Crystal Palace icon Wilfried Zaha has spoken out after former teammate Jean-Philippe Mateta claimed the winger “laughed” off his chances of ever playing for France while the pair were together at Selhurst Park. For a long time, the Eagles forward seemed to struggle to break through the glass ceiling – but last week, he silenced the doubters by scoring on his debut under Didier Deschamps in a 2–2 draw against Iceland.
“I always believed [in playing for the France national team],” Mateta told French outlet L’Equipe after the game. “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 teammates 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.”
Nowadays, the Eagles are enjoying their finest ever moments as a football club, having lifted last season’s FA Cup – their first major honour – before going on to win the Community Shield and embark on an 18-game unbeaten run that included two victories over Liverpool. Yet, those in SE25 can’t help but wonder how they might look with a prime Zaha back in the dressing room – though that pipe dream seems ever more fantastical as the relationship between the players continues to break down.
Wilfried Zaha Furiously Breaks Silence on Mateta Claims
Zaha will forever be immortalised as one of Palace’s greatest-ever players, having scored 90 goals and provided 54 assists in 458 appearances – often singlehandedly dragging the club out of relegation battles during the Roy Hodgson years. Now on loan at Charlotte FC in MLS from parent club Galatasaray, who he joined on a free transfer from the South London side two summers ago, the winger has been made to reflect on some of his days at Selhurst Park.
While admitting that he did joke about Mateta’s international chances, the Ivory Coast international has downplayed any suggestion that it was meant seriously, insisting the remark was simply light-hearted banter between friends. Posting an explanation video on social media, he said (watch the full video below):
“I’m sorry, but my head’s on fire, I’ve got to clear up this Mateta situation, because he doesn’t want to. I spoke to him, he’s okay with it. It’s clear to me that these people, when i was playing for Crystal Palace, they weren’t happy for me. I never made anyone feel like sh**. I would never bully anyone or say they wouldn’t make it, so it’s disgusting to see someone I thought was a friend do that [make those claims].”
He continued: “The conversation that was had was about his chances of playing for France way back when he wasn’t playing for Palace – and there were 10 players he had this conversation with – and we laughed it off. We were joking around about the fact it was going to be difficult, especially with [Karim] Benzema, and all these players playing in that position.
“But we never ever once said ‘you’re not going to make it’, so wouldn’t you be shocked, especially with football banter, if your mate asked this to 10 people, and he made out like there is some sort of hate from me? Why would he say my name? Or is it just because Zaha’s the biggest name?”
“It’s disgusting, I would never hate on anyone. I even congratulated him on his Instagram, so to hear that story come out, it’s like, what the f****? Did you dislike me this whole time and decide you are going to use Zaha as your come-up story?”
Having concluded a two-minute video by saying, “This is why I don’t have football friends. This is why I keep myself to myself,” it’s clear there’s plenty of bad blood between the two Palace legends, who played 39 times together but combined for just one goal contribution. Mateta initially struggled to adapt to English football after his £8 million move from Mainz in January 2022.
Now, with 32 goals in his last 79 Premier League appearances, the Frenchman looks every bit like the Zaha reincarnation SE25 so desperately craved in terms of attacking output.
But with reliance less of an issue these days – in a squad that now boasts the likes of Ismaila Sarr, Adam Wharton, and a top-class defence – the Eagles have never looked stronger. Their striker is now just one of many outstanding assets in a team brimming with talent, far removed from Zaha’s days as the be-all and end-all of the south London club.
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