- Jean-Philippe Mateta was extremely friendly with Olivia Buzaglo
- Crystal Palace striker’s actions have led to hilarious responses
- TNT Sports presenter was an Eagles fan vs Fiorentina
Jean-Philippe Mateta caused a stir with his post-match antics following Crystal Palace’s 3-0 win over Fiorentina last night. The French striker scored the opener from the penalty spot at Selhurst Park.
TNT Sports reporter Olivia Buzaglo interviewed Mateta and Tyrick Mitchell after the game. But fans noticed how tightly the Frenchman had his hand around the Chelsea-supporting interviewer.
Mateta Mischief
Mateta was over the moon throughout the interview, but some viewers couldn’t ignore his hand on Buzaglo’s shoulder. It has led to hilarious responses from fans online and even talkSPORT’s Ray Parlour and Alan Brazil.
An X account responded to the interview by poking fun at Mateta:
“She’s not going anywhere Mateta, take a touch.”
Brazil was stunned on talkSPORT and gave his thoughts:
“I’ve seen worse arrests than that. That’s terrible. What’s he doing?”
Parlour gave a witty response:
“We’ve got to try and get him out of jail here.”
Mateta is known for his larger-than-life personality, although Pitchside presenter Tom Garratt, who is in a relationship with Buzaglo, might have something to say about the Palace striker when next on air.
Garratt hasn’t minced his words when speaking about the Frenchman’s attempts to leave Selhurst Park in January. He also suggested that Eagles fans shouldn’t have been complaining during the frustrating winter period.
Has Mateta Converted Buzaglo?
Buzaglo seemed delighted with Palace’s win over Fiorentina and was spotted celebrating a goal on the touchline. A fan screenshot a still of her reacting to Glasner and captioned it:
“No neutrality here.”
Buzaglo responded:
“I wanted Palace to win tonight haha (also makes my job easier if they do).”
Palace have captured the imagination of neutral fans during their recent success under Glasner. Last season’s FA Cup win saw pretty much the rest of the Premier League support the South Londoners in their 1-0 win over Manchester City in the final.
Garratt, a West Bromwich Albion fan, was one of them as he celebrated the win during a live stream on Pitchside. He said:
“I tell you what, anyone watching that game as a lower league fan myself, I actually felt a tiny bit emotional watching that.”
Palace can continue to get neutrals on board as they continue their European adventure. They take a 3-0 aggregate lead to Florence next Thursday in the second leg of their Conference League quarter-final.
