Millwall’s goalkeeper, Liam Roberts, revealed that he has been subjected to abusive messages and threats following an incident last weekend where he inadvertently kicked Crystal Palace’s Jean-Philippe Mateta in the head. The original three-game suspension handed to Roberts was extended to six matches after intervention by the English Football Association (FA), citing the need for a harsher penalty.
The incident, which occurred during an FA Cup fifth-round game, resulted from a dangerous challenge by Roberts that left Mateta requiring 25 stitches for a deep cut on his ear. Reflecting on the incident, Roberts expressed profound regret. “I am devastated by what happened,” he stated, and while accepting the red card and punishment, he clarified his intentions: “It has been extremely unpleasant to see suggestions that I intended to harm a fellow professional. I have never stepped onto a football pitch with the intention of hurting anyone.”
Roberts described enduring “an unthinkable amount of abusive messages and threats” targeted at both himself and his family. The contentious red card was shown just eight minutes into the fiercely contested match between the two London teams. Typically, such offenses carry a three-match suspension, but the FA deemed it necessary to pursue a more severe punishment and an independent panel upheld this request.
The FA explained, “In the circumstances — the standard punishment for this offense was clearly insufficient, and Liam Roberts subsequently denied this.” Following the incident, Mateta was substituted out and taken to a hospital for specialized treatment but was released later that evening. Commenting on the incident, Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish expressed his shock, stating, “In all the time I’ve watched football, I’ve never seen a challenge like it. That is the most reckless challenge on a football pitch I think I’ve ever seen.”
In a gesture of goodwill, Roberts reached out to Mateta to inquire about his recovery, and Mateta “reassured me not to worry,” said Roberts. Meanwhile, Palace coach Oliver Glasner announced that Mateta would be sidelined for the upcoming Premier League game against Ipswich but is hopeful for his participation in the FA Cup quarterfinal against Fulham at the end of the month, stating, “He had no fractures or concussion. Healing from the huge wound is going as we expected.”
