Overview
- Jean-Philippe Mateta told L'Equipe that early in his Crystal Palace stint teammates, including Wilfried Zaha, laughed at his goal of playing for France.
- Zaha posted a video rebuttal, rejecting any suggestion of bullying, calling the claim "nasty" and "disgusting," and saying about 10 players took part in what he viewed as friendly banter.
- He added that he had publicly congratulated Mateta on his call-up and questioned why he was named when others were present during the exchange.
- Mateta recently made his France debut and scored in a subsequent match, providing the backdrop for the interview comments.
- Recent coverage highlights a strong online reaction, with Sky Sports reporting Mateta did not intend disrespect and BBC pundit Rafael Honigstein suggesting the row is being overstated.