Pedro Neto Avoids Red Card After Incident with PSG Ball Boy Following Chelsea’s 5-2 Loss in Paris

In a surprising incident during Chelsea’s Champions League match against PSG, Pedro Neto found himself involved in an unusual altercation with a ball boy.

As the clock ticked down with Chelsea trailing 4-2 in injury time, the ball went out of play. Neto hurried to get a new ball from a ball boy positioned at the side of the Parc des Princes field.

However, the ball boy delayed, appearing reluctant to hand over the ball to Neto and even seemed to gesture as if he might toss it away.

Frustrated by the delay and eager to resume play, Neto pushed the ball boy, who then fell to the ground, seemingly in distress.

The incident sparked a tense moment on the sidelines, leading to a confrontation between players from both teams.

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

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.’

Neto did apologise to the ball boy after the incident, although things were about to get worse for him when Khvicha Kvaratskhelia made it 5-2 to PSG later in stoppage time. 

Meanwhile, after VAR decided not to intervene in Paris, Hoddle added: ‘Rightly so. If the ball boy hadn’t done anything then that’s another story.’

At full-time, Neto was seen giving the ball boy his shirt and the pair appeared to make up with each other following the strange incident. 

He later spoke to TNT 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.’ 

It added to a frustrating night for Liam Rosenior’s side after they had matched their opponents for much of the evening.

Enzo Fernandez had made it 2-2 midway through the second half, but three late goals from the hosts ensured they will take a 5-2 aggregate lead heading into next week’s second leg. 

The Neto situation brought back memories of January 2013 when Chelsea icon Eden Hazard infamously clashed with Charlie Morgan. 

Morgan was a ballboy for Chelsea’s League Cup semi-final clash against Swansea Swansea, and tried to waste time.

With the Welsh side 2-0 up on aggregate, Morgan lay on the ball, infuriating Hazard who then kicked him, with the Belgian sent off as a result and handed a three-match fan. 

Hazard later apologised as he said: ‘ The boy put his whole body on to the ball and I was just trying to kick the ball.

‘I think I kicked the ball and not the boy. I apologise.’