Pedro Neto faces UEFA investigation after escaping crimson card for PUSHING PSG ball boy to the ground on the finish of Chelsea’s 5-2 defeat in Paris
UEFA have opened disciplinary proceedings against Pedro Neto after his ball-boy altercation towards the end of Chelsea’s Champions League loss to Paris Saint-Germain.
With the Blues 4-2 down in injury-time, the ball bounced out of play and Neto attempted to retrieve a fresh one off a ball boy at the side of the Parc des Princes pitch.
However, the ball boy hesitated and refused to give the ball immediately to Neto, before he seemed to motion to throw it away.
Neto took issue with this in his desperation to get the ball back, and instead pushed over the ball boy, who was left writhing around on the floor in pain.
The winger’s actions created a scuffle on the touchline as both sets of players took issue with each other.
Neto’s actions were subsequently reviewed by VAR, but they decided not to intervene.
Pedro Neto clashed with a ball boy during the latter stages of Chelsea’s 5-2 defeat by PSG
The ball boy refused to give the ball back to Neto so the Chelsea star shoved him over to retrieve it instead
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Following the shove, the ball boy was left writhing around on the floor in agony
Speaking on TNT Sports’ coverage of the game, Glenn Hoddle leapt to the defence of Neto as he said: ‘Yeah, he’s pushed him but he’s pushed him because the ball boy isn’t going to give him the ball and goes to throw the ball away.
‘To defend the player, it’s the last minute of the game. He wants to get on with the game and the lad is trying to throw the ball away from him. He just gives him a nudge.’
The Portuguese winger later apologised for letting his frustration get the better of him and gave the ball-boy his match-worn shirt. Blues boss Liam Rosenior also said sorry on behalf of the club after it brought back memories of Eden Hazard’s own clash in Swansea in 2013.
While Neto got away with it on the night, UEFA have now confirmed that they are studying the incident for ‘unsporting behaviour’ in according with article 15 of their disciplinary regulations.
‘UEFA’s disciplinary bodies will take a decision on this case in due course,’ their statement added with it believed Neto is at risk of a one-game ban.
This comes at a time when Neto is among those to have added to Chelsea’s indiscipline, having been red carded away at Arsenal earlier this month. He is one of nine different players to have been dismissed for the Blues this season.
Chelsea are due to face Newcastle in the Premier League this Saturday before meeting PSG in their Champions League last-16 second leg on Tuesday, with both games at Stamford Bridge.
Neto later spoke to TNT Sports and expressed his remorse for what had gone on.
‘I want to come out to say that the situation that happened on the pitch, I went to apologise to the ball boy already and spoke with him,’ he said.
‘The emotions of the game, we were losing and I wanted to pick up the ball. He was carrying the ball with him, I gave him a little push in the heat of the moment and I saw that I hurt him.
‘I’m not like this so straight away I went there to apologise and I gave him my shirt as well because that cannot happen so I’m really sorry about that. And I just wanted to say one more time I’m really sorry for him.’
Neto’s actions created a scuffle on the touchline as both sets of players clashed
The Portuguese winger did apologise to the ball boy and later spoke about the incident on TV
He also gave him his shirt from the game as the pair embraced after the full-time whistle
When pressed further, Neto added: ‘I have to apologise to him. In the heat of the moment, how football is, you have a lot of emotions.
‘I wanted to get the ball first, I gave him a push and I went to say sorry to him straight away and then we spoke at the end.
‘He even laughed because I gave him the shirt and I said sorry like 35 times so I’m really sorry about the situation.
‘He knew what happened as well so he was happy as well with the situation.
‘He knew in the heat of the moment, Vitinha said to him too that I’m not like that and the only thing that matters was that I was worried about him. So I’m really sorry about the situation.’
