Mateta and Zaha Clear the Air

Jean-Philippe Mateta says he and former Crystal Palace team-mate Wilfried Zaha have privately cleared the air after Mateta told L'Equipe that teammates, including Zaha, had laughed at his ambition to play for France, comments Zaha called 'nasty and disgusting' on social media. Mateta said they dealt with the matter directly and 'everything is good', while Palace's media team limited further questioning about whether Zaha apologised. The exchange followed Mateta's rapid rise in form — a first senior France call-up in which he scored on his full debut, a Premier League hat-trick and a place among the division's leading scorers this season. Zaha, who left Palace in 2023, now plays for MLS side Charlotte FC and denied being misrepresented in the interview. Mateta said he is focused on his season rather than contract talks, with manager Oliver Glasner expecting to select his strongest side for upcoming European and domestic fixtures.