Pedro Neto has apologised for pushing a ball boy to the ground during Chelsea's 5-2 Champions League defeat by Paris St Germain. The incident occurred in stoppage time at the Parc des Princes, with the Blues trailing and seeking a late response.
PSG players reacted angrily after Neto wrestled the ball from the youngster, leaving him on the turf and sparking a melee. The Portuguese winger later spoke to TNT Sports and apologised for his actions.
“I want to come out to say the situation that happened on the pitch, I want to apologise to the ball boy,” the 26-year-old said. “I already spoke with him. With the emotions of the game, we were losing, I wanted to pick up the ball. I gave him a little push and I saw that I hurt him in a sort of way. I’m not like this. I went there to apologise, I gave him my shirt as well. That cannot happen, so I’m really, really sorry about that.”
Neto escaped without any punishment from the referee, and head coach Liam Rosenior also apologised in his post-match press conference. “If there was anything from our side that was wrong or out of order, I apologise on behalf of the club,” he said.
The incident reminded many fans of Eden Hazard kicking Swansea ball boy Charlie Morgan during a League Cup semi-final in 2013. Hazard was sent off for kicking the teenager after he tried to retrieve the ball.
Rosenior also took the blame for the defeat, explaining that he asked his team “to play a certain way” in Paris. A mistake from goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen handed PSG their third goal, and Chelsea conceded two more to leave themselves with a mountain to climb in next week's second leg.
