Grealish rubbishes Melo's claims as to what winger said to spark full-time melee

Jack Grealish has rubbished Felipe Melo's claims on what sparked a full time melee after Manchester City thumped Fluminense to win the Club World Cup.

Melo and Walker were involved in a heated altercation after City won the game 4-0 against Fluminense, with Grealish seen 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 ran towards the confrontation to drag the pair apart, and it seems Melo was actually gunning for Grealish, with Walker getting in his way.

Melo's post-match claims went on to back up that idea, with the Brazillian suggesting it was Grealish who was to blame for what happened, rather than Walker.

'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.'

But Grealish was quick to defend himself, taking to social media to completely rubbish Melo's verdict.

'Not once did I say ole,' Grealish tweeted, in a post that quickly soared past more than 720,000 views.

City took the lead in the game after a matter of seconds, with Julian Alvarez scoring a 'Messi-like' goal with his chest after Nathan Ake had hit the post.

Nino then scored an own goal to make it 2-0, before Phil Foden and Alvarez again added to the total as City were crowned champions of the world.

But there was initially little time for celebration in Jeddah, with Walker and Melo coming to blows and having to be dragged apart by a number of other players.