Pedro Neto has apologised for pushing over a ball boy during Chelsea’s 5-2 defeat by Paris St‑Germain in the Champions League.
The 26-year-old pushed the young ball boy in stoppage time of the last-16 first-leg tie, causing him to fall on to a chair and sparking a mass altercation between both teams at Parc des Princes on Wednesday night.
Asked about the incident on TNT Sports after the game, Neto said: “I want to apologise to the ball boy. I have already spoken to him.
“We were losing and in the emotion of the game I wanted to get the ball fast and I gave him a little push.
“I’m not like this. It was in the heat of the moment and I want to apologise. I gave him my shirt. I’m really sorry about it – I feel I have to apologise to him.
“My French is not very good, and [Portugal team-mate] Vitinha came over and said to him I was not like this.
“At the end he [the ball boy] laughed and I gave him my shirt and said sorry about 35 times. He could see what had happened and was happy with the situation.”
It is unclear whether Neto will face any further punishment by Uefa, but his actions came during a wider Chelsea collapse.
Head coach Liam Rosenior echoed the apology, adding: “I saw there was an altercation with the ball boy. But if there was anything from our side that was wrong or out of order, I apologise on behalf of the club.
“But I think Pedro has done so in interviews. I genuinely haven’t seen it back.”
