Manchester City’s Jack Grealish has denied being disrespectful towards Fluminense during Friday’s Club World Cup final victory.
Tempers flared after the final whistle when City captain Kyle Walker and Fluminense defender Felipe Melo clashed in a heated argument.
Melo then blamed Grealish for stoking tensions, the City winger shouting “ole”.
– Jack Grealish (@JackGrealish) December 22, 2023
Melo seemed to feel that the England star was taunting Fluminense by employing the Club World Cup final term, and was widely reported to have said: “It’s for the enthusiasts, the enthusiasts can shout ‘ole’. The athlete in the box cannot be disrespected.
Grealish insisted that was not true, writing on the social media site X, formerly known as Twitter: “Not once did I say ole.”
Things temporarily calmed down before City clinched their fifth trophy of the year following a comprehensive 4-0 win over Brazil in Saudi Arabia.
Julian Alvarez scored twice, with Phil Foden also netting in the second half after a Nino own goal had put City two up.
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