Chelsea winger Pedro Neto will be available for the Champions League second leg against Paris Saint-Germain after UEFA opted not to ban him for pushing a ball boy. The Portuguese international faced a potential one-match suspension for “unsporting behaviour” following the incident during the 5-2 first-leg defeat in Paris.
UEFA’s Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body (CEDB) has instead issued a warning to Neto, who shoved a ball boy to the ground as he tried to retrieve the ball late in the game. The incident sparked a melee among players, and referee Alejandro Hernandez conducted a VAR check for a possible red card, but no on-pitch punishment was given.
Neto apologised to the ball boy after the match and gave him his shirt. Speaking to TNT Sports, he said: “I want to come out and apologise for what happened on the pitch. In the heat of the moment, with all the emotions in football, I wanted to get the ball fast, I gave him a push, and I wanted to say sorry to him. He was happy that I gave him the shirt and said sorry like, 35 times.”
The 24-year-old was unavailable for Chelsea’s Premier League match against Newcastle on Saturday due to a separate suspension, but he is now free to face PSG at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday. Chelsea trail 5-2 after the first leg, having twice come from behind before conceding late goals at the Parc des Princes.
