Felipe Melo and Kyle Walker made headlines for the wrong reasons after the FIFA Club World Cup 2023 final. Shortly after the final whistle, they had to be separated by the rest of the Fluminense and Manchester City players as they almost got into a fight.
Melo has forged a reputation for being a controversial player in world soccer, as he often got the most of other opponents and fans throughout his career. His heated moment with Walker didn’t help to change that image, but the Brazilian called out those who blamed him this time.
A few hours after the incident, the veteran defender accused City midfielder Jack Grealish of mocking Fluminense shouting “Olé” as his team passed the ball with a 4-0 lead in the final minutes.
Felipe Melo blames Jack Grealish for disrespecting Fluminense
“I’ve already seen on social media idiots saying that I started a mess,” Melo said, via @ManCityBrazil on X (Twitter). “Just as the idiots said that I started the mess with the goal that Grêmio scored (in the Brasileirão). In the game against Grêmio, I calmly went to ask the player to celebrate with their fans. And they ended up creating a mess. And I didn’t want trouble.
“Today, Grealish was disrespectful towards the Fluminense institution and I will never let that happen… He was shouting “olé” at the end of the game. That’s for the fans, the fans can shout “olé”. The player on the field cannot be disrespectful towards the institution. So, for the idiots who call themselves journalists and have already said that I started the mess, I didn’t create any trouble, on the contrary, I went to defend Martinelli, who was being pressured by this player. And I would do it again. I am a warrior.”
Jack Grealish denies Felipe Melo’s version
Melo may be a polarizing figure in world soccer, as he’s often been involved in heated exchanges with other players and sometimes even with fans. However, if Grealish taunted the Fluminense players, it’s understandable that he stood up for his club. But the Manchester City star denied shouting “ole” at the opponents.
Fortunately, the rest of the players on the field prevented things from escalating any further as they quickly intervened. Now it’s time to move on, as City have a Premier League season to resume, while Fluminense will get a much-deserved break after an exhausting year.