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Jean-Philippe Mateta has spoken publicly for the first time about his feud with former Crystal Palace team-mate Wilfried Zaha.
Mateta, 28, has enjoyed a sensational rise in South London, scoring 24 goals in his last 59 appearances, form that earned him a call up to the France national team for the latest round of international fixtures.
It marks a remarkable turnaround for the striker - who scored once across two games for Les Blues - after he initially struggled to make an impact following his move to the Premier League from Mainz in 2021.
At the time, Zaha was the star man at Selhurst Park, and Mateta recently recalled how he was laughed out of the room when he first outlined his desire to one day represent his country - and particularly referenced the former Palace icon.
This had infuriated Zaha, who last week to social media to hit back as Mateta's 'nasty' and 'disgusting' interview, claiming that the truth had been distorted.
However, speaking ahead of Palace's UEFA Conference League clash against AEK Larnaca on Thursday, Mateta insisted the situation has been resolved by the pair.
Jean-Philippe Mateta has spoken about his feud with his former team-mate Wilfried Zaha
Mateta claimed Zaha once 'laughed' at him when he outlined his dream of playing for France
'I spoke with him,' the Frenchman responded when asked about the saga. 'Everything is good with him. We talk in private and that is it.'
When a reporter then pressed the 28-year-old on whether Zaha had apologised, Crystal Palace's media team intervened to state that Mateta didn't want to answer any more questions on the row.
Mateta's original interview had come with French outlet L'Equipe after he was called up by Didier Deschamps for the first time, having previously starred in Les Bleus' Olympic team in 2024.
The Eagles striker had 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.
'My dream has always been to play for the France team. I knew that I would get my chance.'
Zaha then responded last week after Mateta's quotes gained traction by uploading a furious two-minute rant on social media.
'I'm sorry but my head's on fire,' began Zaha, who now plays for Charlotte FC in the MLS.
But Zaha then hit back at Mateta in a furious two-minute video uploaded to social media
Mateta earned his first France call-up this month and scored once across two fixtures
'I've got to clear up this Mateta situation because he doesn't want to and this just shows me that... 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.'
Zaha clarified what really happened, saying: '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 Benzema (and) 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, I swear to you, 10 Crystal Palace players were there when this conversation was had, wouldn't you be shocked that this person has made out like there was some sort of hate from me?
'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. 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?'
The saga has shown no signs of impacting Mateta's form though, with the Frenchman scoring a hat-trick in Palace's dramatic 3-3 draw against Bournemouth last Saturday.
