Pedro Neto has apologised for pushing a ball boy to the ground during Chelsea’s Champions League defeat by Paris St Germain.
The incident occurred with Chelsea trailing 4-2 in stoppage time at the Parc des Princes as Liam Rosenior’s side sought a late response.
The PSG players reacted angrily after Neto wrestled the ball off the ball boy, leaving him on the ground and sparking a melee, and the Portuguese winger spoke after the match to hold his hands up.
"It was the heat of the moment. I want to apologise."
Pedro Neto reacts to Chelsea's defeat in Paris and addresses his incident with the ball boy at the end of the match…@tntsports & @discoveryplusUK | @Becky_Ives_ pic.twitter.com/ogp0Slfzj8
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“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 told TNT Sports.
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“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.”
Paris St Germain players celebrate after scoring their fifth goal (Michel Euler/AP)
Paris St Germain players celebrate after scoring their fifth goal (Michel Euler/AP)(Michel Euler/AP)
Neto escaped without any punishment from the referee, and head coach 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.
It was the home side who had the last laugh, though, with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia scoring his second goal four minutes into stoppage time to make it 5-2 and put PSG within touching distance of the quarter-finals.