Applause rang out at Millwall’s The Den on the eighth minute – the same point at which goalkeeper Liam Roberts was sent off for a challenge on Jean-Philippe Mateta – of their Championship clash with Bristol City on Tuesday night.
Crystal Palace striker Mateta was hospitalised after a challenge early on in Saturday’s FA Cup clash with Millwall, which prompted sickening ‘let him die’ chants from visiting fans.
The in-form Palace striker required 25 stitches after the challenge, which saw him receive on-field treatment including an oxygen mask, and resulted in a lengthy delay to proceedings, before he was carried off on a stretcher.
Later in the game, Crystal Palace fans then reciprocated the same chants, aimed at Millwall’s Camiel Neghli when he turned his ankle nearly 30 minutes after the Mateta incident.
The challenge itself was not given a red card initially, with Michael Oliver called to the VAR monitor to reassess the decision and send off Roberts in the eighth minute of the game.
The tackle itself was rash and clearly endangered Mateta, and as such a red card was fully justified, though Roberts’ intention was seemingly always to get the ball and not make contact with the player. The goalkeeper in fact reached out to Mateta on Saturday, Mail Sport revealed.
Jean-Philippe Mateta required stitches after the challenge from Liam Roberts in the FA Cup
Millwall fans appeared to lend their support to Roberts in the eighth minute of their Championship clash on Tuesday
Millwall head coach Alex Neil and Millwall chairman James Berylson also checked on Mateta’s welfare immediately after the game.
As well as the applause on Tuesday night, there were reportedly chants among the crowd of ‘F*** the Daily Mail’.
This comes after it was revealed the Daily Mail has been banned from attending Millwall matches and press conference, as a result of the outlet’s reporting surrounding the incident on Saturday.
It was after requesting to speak to Roberts, the 30-year-old who has not yet talked about the incident and who was criticised by Mail Sport columnist Chris Sutton on Monday’s It’s All Kicking Off podcast, that the Mail learned of the ban.
Palace chairman Steve Parish claimed the tackle had endangered Mateta’s life, and it was one of the worst that he had ever seen.
The Football Association are unable to act on the ‘let him die’ chants but are investigating potential homophobic abuse aimed by Millwall fans at Ben Chilwell, the Palace defender on loan from Chelsea.
Millwall released a statement after the game, criticising the reporting of the incident, contending that suggestions that the goalkeeper ‘intended to harm Jean-Philippe’ had contributed to a ‘character assassination of Liam’ and ‘abhorrent abuse’ aimed at him online, which needless to say has no place in the game.
‘The club are disgusted by abuse directed towards goalkeeper Liam Roberts following Saturday’s unfortunate collision with Jean-Philippe Mateta,’ their statement read.
Mateta was given an oxygen mask before being escorted off the field on a stretcher
‘The reporting on the matter, as well as disgraceful suggestions made by certain news organisations and high-profile figures within the sport that Liam intended to harm Jean-Philippe, has contributed to the unwarranted character assassination of Liam and fuelled abhorrent online abuse towards him.
‘No player at Millwall Football Club steps on to the pitch with the intent to harm another, and the club will continue to support Liam, who reached out to Jean-Philippe personally on Saturday evening with an apology which was accepted immediately.
‘The club are pleased to hear positive updates from Jean-Philippe and wish him the best in his recovery.’
Mateta was conscious at the hospital on Saturday night as he wrote on Instagram: ‘I’m doing well. I hope to be back very soon. And stronger than ever.
‘Well done guys for the great job today. I love you.’ It is not known when he will be able to return, with Palace facing Ipswich next in the Premier League this Saturday.’
Manager Oliver Glasner added: ‘I didn’t want to see it after the game, because you never want to watch an injury, but because I was told I have to talk about it, I watched it, and it was very, very serious foul play. It was tough to see. I don’t want to see it any more.
‘Just imagine if he hits his face straight, with all this power and the studs, it could have been the end of JP’s career.
‘ I’m pretty sure he did not want to injure JP in this situation, but I also think you have to decide when you make such an impact, that you just can’t do it in this way – the risk of a very serious injury is just too high. Everyone agrees the red card was the right decision.
Millwall manager Alex Neil defended Roberts, saying that he mistimed the challenge
Millwall released a statement saying they have been ‘disgusted’ by abuse directed at Roberts
‘I don’t feel happiness today – still sadness and doubt because of how serious JP’s injury is. My fingers are crossed, and hopefully he can play in the quarter-finals in four weeks. We all hope it’s not that serious.’
Millwall boss Alex Neil defended his goalkeeper afterwards as he said: ‘What’s happened is Liam has come out, he’s tried to get the ball, he’s mistimed it and caught the lad. It’s no more than that from my perspective. He has certainly not intended to hurt the player or anything like it.
‘We wish Mateta the best and hope he gets back on the pitch. I don’t know how bad it is or how bad it isn’t. I’ll be honest with you, at the time I thought that he might make contact with the ball. I haven’t seen it back.
‘But the fact is, if he’s caught him and he deserved to be sent off, he deserved to be sent off. I don’t agree with the fact that he has went out intending to hurt the player. It’s five minutes into the game, so no, I don’t agree with it at all.’
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