Crystal Palace’s Jean-Philippe Mateta explains decision to tuck in shirt | OneFootball

Jean-Philippe Mateta (28) has asserted himself as something of an old-school striker. That isn’t simply through his style of play.

The striker earned his first call-up to the France squad and joined up with his compatriots at Clairefontaine. As is customary, he sang in front of his new teammates earlier this week. Whilst many France players often choose a more contemporary song, Mateta chose an old classic, Joe Dassin’s Les Champs-Élysées.

His on-field appearance is also something of a throwback. Mateta always tucks his shirt into his shorts, and speaking in an interview with L’Équipe, he has now explained why.

He revealed that, when he was playing at Chateauxroux between 2014 and 2016, it was compulsory to tuck the shirt into the shorts. He never truly kicked the habit. “I don’t remember the first time I did it, but I remember when I did it again at Palace. It was against Nottingham Forest. It has become my brand a bit. It makes me laugh. I do it just because it’s funny,” revealed the Crystal Palace forward.

He added, “My teammates were rolling around laughing. I love making jokes, but it stayed. It’s good when it’s funny, isn’t it?”

Mateta will be hoping to tuck a France shirt into his shorts for the first time for the senior side during the current international break, with Les Bleus facing Azerbaijan and Iceland in FIFA World Cup qualifying.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle