Chelsea's shocking incident as a ball boy is pushed during PSG defeat

Chelsea's 2-5 defeat against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League was notable not just for the lopsided score but also for a contentious situation concerning Pedro Neto and a ball boy.

The incident occurred in the closing minutes of the match at Parc des Princes. Chelsea was trailing 4-2 during stoppage time and urgently wanted to restart play quickly.

After the ball went out of bounds, Neto ran to the area where a ball boy was stationed to retrieve a new ball. However, the boy hesitated and did not immediately hand the ball to the Chelsea player, even signaling as if he intended to throw it elsewhere.

This action frustrated Neto in his haste to resume the match. The Portuguese winger pushed the boy, causing him to fall onto the ground and lie there holding his face in pain.

The situation immediately sparked a dispute between the teams along the sidelines, with numerous players from both sides rushing over to react. Subsequently, Neto's conduct was reviewed by the VAR system, but the referee team decided not to intervene, and the Chelsea player also did not receive a red card.

Commenting on TNT Sports, former star Glenn Hoddle defended Neto: "He did push the boy, but that was because the boy wasn't handing over the ball and even seemed about to throw it away. In the final moments of the match, the player just wanted to quickly continue the game. He only gave a light push."

After the controversial incident, Neto proactively apologized to the ball boy. However, things worsened for this player when Khvicha Kvaratskhelia scored another goal in stoppage time, sealing a 5-2 victory for PSG.

Further commenting on the VAR decision, Hoddle stated that the referee's handling was correct: "If the ball boy hadn't done anything, the story would be different. But in this situation, the decision was reasonable."

After the match concluded, Neto was seen presenting his jersey to the ball boy. The two appeared to reconcile afterward.

In an interview with TNT Sports, Neto also expressed remorse: "I want to clarify what happened on the field. I apologized to the ball boy and spoke with him. The match emotions were very tense, we were losing and I just wanted to get the ball to restart play. I saw him holding the ball and moving away, so in my haste I pushed him lightly. Later I realized I had hurt him. I am not that kind of person, so I immediately apologized and gave him my jersey. That shouldn't have happened and I sincerely apologize."

Neto stated that he apologized many times: "I had to apologize to him. In football, during a match, emotions run high. I just wanted to get the ball back faster so I pushed him. I apologized right afterward and we talked after the game. He even smiled because I gave him my jersey and I said sorry about 35 times. I truly apologize for that incident."

The Chelsea player also revealed that Vitinha told the boy that Neto is not such a person, and the most important thing for him at that moment was concern over whether the boy was injured.

Neto's incident made the night even more forgettable for manager Liam Rosenior's team. Earlier, Chelsea had matched PSG for much of the match.

Even Enzo Fernandez scored to equalize 2-2 midway through the second half. However, three late goals from the home team allowed PSG to secure a 5-2 win and gain a significant advantage ahead of the return leg next week.