Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish has strongly criticized Liam Roberts, claiming the Millwall goalkeeper endangered Jean-Philippe Mateta’s life with a reckless challenge during their FA Cup match.
Forward Jean-Philippe Mateta was taken to the hospital following a severe tackle from Roberts in the first half of their FA Cup fifth-round game.
Roberts’ challenge, described as a ‘kung-fu kick’, resulted in a red card after he struck Mateta in the head while attempting to clear the ball.
Parish, visibly shocked, voiced his outrage in an interview, stating, “From what we understand, Mateta has a severe cut behind his ear and a head injury. He’s currently in the hospital, and we are hoping for the best.”
He continued, “While football is an emotional game, the focus needs to be on that challenge. In all my years watching football, I have never witnessed such a challenge.”
“Considering the goalkeeper is 30 years old, it was the most reckless tackle I have ever seen on a football pitch. He needs to seriously reflect on his actions.”
“He endangered a fellow professional, possibly even his life, with that challenge,” Parish added.
Parish was also surprised that the referee, Michael Oliver, needed to review the incident before sending Roberts off.
He further commented, “It’s difficult to focus on the rest of the match when we are concerned about JP in the hospital. It was a truly terrible challenge. The goalkeeper showed a complete lack of respect for the safety of another player.”
“Someone mentioned a similar incident in the 1982 World Cup, but this was a dreadful challenge. I don’t understand why the referee needed to consult the VAR screen. Beyond being a football player, Mateta is a human being. That was not a normal football challenge.”
“Kicking someone in the head with such force, it’s impossible to know the extent of the damage inflicted,” Parish concluded.
Unfortunately, some Millwall fans reportedly responded to Mateta’s injury with offensive chants. Despite the incident, Crystal Palace took a 2-0 lead in the first half, with goals from Japhet Tanganga (own goal) and Daniel Munoz.
Millwall managed to pull a goal back before halftime through Wes Harding, but Eddie Nketiah’s header in the second half secured Crystal Palace’s victory and progression to the next round.
