Soccer-Chelsea's Neto faces disciplinary action for pushing ball boy, says UEFA


Soccer Football - UEFA Champions League - Round of 16 - First Leg - Paris St Germain v Chelsea - Parc des Princes, Paris, France - March 11, 2026 Chelsea's Pedro Neto checks on ball boy after falling into him Action Images via Reuters/Peter Cziborra

March 12 (Reuters) - Chelsea winger Pedro ⁠Neto faces UEFA disciplinary proceedings after pushing a ball boy during Wednesday's ⁠5-2 Champions League defeat at Paris St Germain, an incident that ‌added to a chaotic end to the London side's late collapse.

The 26-year-old shoved the ball boy in stoppage time at the Parc des Princes, sending him into a chair and triggering a confrontation ​between players before apologising for what UEFA called 'unsporting ⁠behaviour' in a statement on ⁠Thursday.

"I want to apologise to the ball boy," Neto told TNT Sports. "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 ... He could see what had happened and was happy with the situation."

Chelsea coach Liam Rosenior also apologised for the incident.

"If there was ⁠anything from our side that was wrong or ​out of order, I apologise on behalf of the club," he said.

Luis Enrique's PSG side twice went ahead through Bradley Barcola and Ousmane Dembele but were pegged back ⁠by Malo Gusto and Enzo Fernandez before Vitinha's clever chip and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia's double put the hosts in control of the tie.

Chelsea's disappointment was evident at full time, with Filip Jorgensen, whose poor pass led to Vitinha's goal, attempting to ​head straight down the tunnel before fellow keeper Robert ⁠Sanchez urged him back to applaud the travelling fans.

Chelsea will host Newcastle United on ​Saturday in the Premier League before hosting PSG ‌on Tuesday in the second leg of the ​last-16 tie in the Champions League.

(Reporting by Suramya Kaushik in Bengaluru and Julien Pretot in Paris; Editing by Thomas Derpinghaus and Ken Ferris)

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