Most valuable new national player
©IMAGO
At the age of 28, Jean-Philippe Mateta is in the French national team squad for the first time. While the Crystal Palace striker always kept his dream in mind, for a long time only very few people believed that the former Mainz player would one day make it to the Équipe Tricolore. Even his teammates teased him about it.
“At Crystal Palace, when I wasn’t even playing at the very beginning, I was talking about the French national team in the dressing room and my teammates like Wilfried Zaha were laughing at me,” Mateta reported “L’Équipe” interview. “They told me I was crazy to think about the French national team when I didn’t even play for Crystal Palace. But I replied that it was my goal and I just had to play to show what I can do.”
After Mateta immediately became the top scorer in his debut season at Mainz 05 in 2018/19 and was able to increase his market value to 22 million euros, a torn meniscus – his first serious injury – put a stop to his promotion. Step by step, Mateta fought his way back and at the beginning of 2021 he was rewarded with a loan move to Crystal Palace. Surprisingly, the attacker couldn’t get his foot on the lawn.
Mateta’s France dream threatens to collapse in England
“It was tough. I came from Germany, where I had performed well, and then you get there and don’t even have a chance to prove yourself. I remember scoring a goal in the derby against Brighton and then not playing for almost the whole season. Sometimes I wasn’t even in the squad,” said Mateta, who made just eleven appearances in his first year while his market value plummeted to €5 million.
If you work hard, you always have a chance.
“I also wanted to leave back then. I have never lost confidence in myself and hope that it will never go away,” explained Mateta. “I’m pretty realistic about myself, I know what I can do and what I can’t do, but when I see others, I know that I’m capable of many things. Especially because I’m a workaholic. If you work a lot, you always have a chance. (…) I just worked and said to myself: the day I come back, they won’t send me away anymore.” He should be right.
Although Mateta hardly played a role, Crystal Palace signed him early after a year. Because of the development, the Mainz team even made concessions in terms of the transfer fee, which at 11 million euros was slightly below the fixed purchase obligation. Under Patrick Vieira, Mateta was actually able to fight his way back and briefly play in the starting eleven, but he only really took off under ex-Bundesliga coach Oliver Glasner – and has been an integral part of the team ever since. Under the Austrian, he scored 34 goals in 71 games, won his first cup and Supercup titles with the Eagles and increased his market value from 7 million to 30 million euros – the next plus awaits in the Premier League update on October 17th.
Mateta most valuable new national player of the international period
On Friday (8:45 p.m.) Mateta could make his first appearance for Les Bleus in the World Cup qualifier against Azerbaijan – at the age of 28 years and three months. In the long and successful era of outgoing national coach Didier Deschamps, only six debutants were older. With his market value of 30 million euros, Mateta is also the most valuable new international player of the current international period, ahead of Germany’s Nathaniel Brown (22 million) and Italy’s Roberto Piccoli (20 million), who are significantly younger at 22 and 24 years old respectively.
“My dream was always to play for the French national team,” emphasized Mateta. “To be honest, I always believed in it. I knew I would get my chance. That was always my goal. I’m an ambitious person, that’s what sets me apart. When I do something, I firmly believe in it.” Even as a child he thought about his debut in the national team. “I wasn’t even in a club yet, but I told myself I had to be one of the best.”
Mateta already celebrated success in the France jersey last year. At the Olympic Games in Paris, he shot his team to the silver medal with five goals in six games. In the final, France, coached by storm legend Thierry Henry, narrowly lost to Spain 3-5 in extra time. “We were obviously frustrated because we lost the final, but then you realize what you have achieved and that was great. I think that journey helped me to play in the French national team today,” said Mateta.