Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta was hospitalized following a horrific head injury after a reckless challenge by Millwall goalkeeper Liam Roberts during their FA Cup fifth-round match on March 1, 2025.
Roberts was sent off just eight minutes into the match after his boot made contact with Mateta’s head while racing out to clear the ball. The tackle, described as “the most reckless” challenge Palace chairman Steve Parish had ever seen, left Mateta requiring urgent medical attention.
Referee Michael Oliver only issued a red card after a VAR review, and the game continued without Roberts, leaving Millwall a man down for the remainder of the match.
Mateta received extensive treatment, including oxygen, on the pitch before being stretchered off and transported to the hospital. Parish expressed his shock at the incident, stating that the challenge was so dangerous it endangered Mateta’s life.
“What we know is he’s got a bad gash behind his ear and a head injury. Obviously, he’s at the hospital, so we hope for the best,” Parish told the BBC. “It’s the most reckless challenge on a football pitch I’ve ever seen. The lad needs to have a long, hard look at himself because he’s endangering a fellow professional’s life with a challenge like that.”
Manager Oliver Glasner confirmed that Mateta was conscious but had suffered a serious injury to his ear. “His ear looks terrible. It’s a very serious injury, so we hope all the best for him,” Glasner said.
“We can’t be really happy. Of course, it’s a great win and we’re into the quarter-finals, but when you lose a player, especially with a foul like this, you have two different feelings in your stomach.”
Despite the unsettling injury, Crystal Palace went on to win the match 3-1, progressing to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup. Japhet Tanganga’s own goal gave Palace the lead, followed by Daniel Munoz’s second. Millwall’s Wes Harding pulled one back, but Eddie Nketiah’s 82nd-minute header secured Palace’s win and advancement.
Mateta, who had scored eight goals in his previous nine games, has been a key player for the club this season with 15 goals in total, also impressing with five goals as part of France’s silver medal-winning team at the Paris Olympics.
Parish compared the incident to the infamous clash between German goalkeeper Toni Schumacher and French forward Patrick Battiston during the 1982 World Cup, which left Battiston seriously injured.
He also questioned why the referee needed to review the incident with VAR before issuing the red card, given the severity of the challenge.
