Felipe Melo has revealed what Jack Grealish said to spark the full time melee at the Cub World Cup final.
Melo and Walker were involved in a heated altercation after City won the game 4-0 against Fluminense, with Grealish dragging his captain away.
Footage from the game appeared to show Melo, 40, running to approach Walker, who was walking ahead of a number of his City team-mates following the full time whistle.
A number of players quickly bundled into the confrontation to drag the pair apart, and it seems that Melo was actually gunning for Grealish, with Walker getting his his way.
Melo’s post-match claims seem to back up that idea, with the Brazillian suggesting it was Grealish who was to blame for what happened.
https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=true&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=eyJ0ZndfdGltZWxpbmVfbGlzdCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOltdLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2ZvbGxvd2VyX2NvdW50X3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9iYWNrZW5kIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19yZWZzcmNfc2Vzc2lvbiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZm9zbnJfc29mdF9pbnRlcnZlbnRpb25zX2VuYWJsZWQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib24iLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X21peGVkX21lZGlhXzE1ODk3Ijp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRyZWF0bWVudCIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3Nob3dfYmlyZHdhdGNoX3Bpdm90c19lbmFibGVkIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19kdXBsaWNhdGVfc2NyaWJlc190b19zZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdXNlX3Byb2ZpbGVfaW1hZ2Vfc2hhcGVfZW5hYmxlZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdmlkZW9faGxzX2R5bmFtaWNfbWFuaWZlc3RzXzE1MDgyIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRydWVfYml0cmF0ZSIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfbGVnYWN5X3RpbWVsaW5lX3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9mcm9udGVuZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9fQ%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1738294631412985906&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailymail.co.uk%2Fsport%2Ffootball%2Farticle-12895357%2FFelipe-Melo-reveals-Jack-Grealish-said.html&sessionId=9d5dd33d720a339e84b3ec9cde6cfc5b9e8d6c8b&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px
+4
View gallery
Felipe Melo (right) has revealed what sparked the melee at the end of the Club World Cup
+4
View gallery
The Brazillian has blamed City forward Jack Grealish (pictured) for causing the altercation
+4
View gallery
It appears that Melo was gunning for Grealish after full time, with Walker seemingly getting in his way
‘I’ve already seen on social media idiots saying that I started a mess,’ Melo said after full time. ‘Just as the idiots said that I started the mess with the goal that Gremio scored.
‘In the game against Gremio, I calmly went to ask the athlete celebrating with their fans. And they ended up creating a mess. And I didn’t want a mess. Today Grealish was disrespectful towards the Fluminense institution and I will never let that happen.
‘He was shouting ole at the end of the game. This is for the fans, the fans can shout ole. The athlete on the field cannot be disrespectful towards the institution.
‘So, for the idiots who call themselves journalists and have already said that I started trouble, I didn’t start any confusion, on the contrary, I went to defend Martinelli, who was being cornered by this athlete. And I would do it again. I am a warrior.’
+4
View gallery
Tensions eventually calmed down, with City and Grealish lifting the title as they were crowned world champions
