Jean-Philippe Mateta was taken to the hospital after receiving a kick to the head, and the chairman of Crystal Palace has expressed in the strongest possible terms his disapproval of the incident.
When Palace defeated Millwall 3-1 in the FA Cup, Steve Parish, like most people who were watching, was taken aback by a high boot that was delivered by Millwall keeper Liam Roberts.
As a result of a review by the video assistant referee in the eighth minute, Roberts was dismissed from the game for rushing out of his goal in an odd manner.
Mateta, on the other hand, was the focus of attention almost immediately, and she required extensive medical attention before being transported in a stretcher ambulance.
When asked for an update at halftime, Parish provided the BBC with the following information: “He’s got a bad gash behind his ear and a head injury, and he’s at the hospital.” Our best wishes are with you.
It’s true that football is a sport that evokes a lot of feelings, but we need to talk about the difficulty of the situation. Never in all the years that I’ve been a football fan have I witnessed a challenge quite like this one.
I was curious about the age of the keeper, and I found out that he is thirty years old.
“That is without a doubt the most reckless challenge I have ever witnessed on a football pitch,” your coach said.
“I think he needs to have a long, hard look at himself that lad,” the Palace co-owner said, continuing his condemnation of the player. He is putting the safety of another professional in jeopardy by posing such a challenge.
“It is very difficult for me to talk about the rest of the game because we are concerned about JP and it is just a terrible, terrible challenge,” she said.
For one thing, they are professionals, and for another, they are all professionals out there, and they have to treat each other like professionals whenever they interact with one another.
The custodian in question has not been subjected to a duty of care, which they owe to their fellow professionals. It is to the players’ credit that they have continued.
When JP is in the hospital, it is difficult for me to think about anything else apart from him.
“As I have stated before, in all the time that I have spent watching football, I believe that someone mentioned that there was a similar opponent in the World Cup in 1982, but it is a very difficult challenge.
I am completely clueless as to the reason why the referee was required to go to the screen.
Japhet Tanganga scored an own goal for Palace, which allowed them to take the lead despite the worrying setback. Palace responded well and managed to take the lead again.
The score was 2-0 when Daniel Munoz scored, and then, deep into the stoppage time of the first half, Wes Harding gave ten-man Millwall all hope.
On the other hand, Eddie Nketiah scored the game-winning goal in the 81st minute, bringing the Eagles to a 3-1 victory and advancing them to the next round.
Immediately following the match, attention continued to be focused on Mateta. The captain of Palace, Marc Guehi, stated, “It was pretty concerned actually.”
“We obviously wish him a speedy recovery, we know he’s in the hospital at the moment which is good, but we hope he’s doing well and can re-join the team as soon as possible.”
The player who took Mateta’s place, Nketiah, continued by saying, “Obviously, we are sad for JP and hope that he can get back into the team as soon as possible.”
“But these things happen in football and you’ve got to stay ready – I had the chance today and it was good to get a goal.”
After that, Guehi was asked if he had a message for Mateta, who was currently in the hospital, and he responded with a French accent, “Fantastic!”
During the post-match press conference, West Ham legend and talkSPORT host Alvin Martin also shared his thoughts, which were similar to those of Parish.
To quote him, “It was a cowardly act,” he said about Roberts. That was a reckless move; if he wanted to demonstrate how courageous he was, he would have headed that ball when he had the opportunity.
It was clear that he had no regard for Mateta’s well-being, as he was aware that he would be coming out of the room with his legs first.
“He should be deeply ashamed of himself Liam Roberts.”
