Emotions boiled over as Chelsea lost to PSG, with Pedro Neto shoving a ball boy before the home players could rush in with VAR checking for a potential red card.
Pedro Neto shoves a ball boy in the final seconds of Chelsea’s loss to PSG
Pedro Neto shoved a PSG ball boy during a Champions League game against Chelsea in France, but the winger quickly came out and admitted his mistake, apologized and handed his shirt to the young player.
Chelsea were chasing goals in the final stages of last season’s chase for the European champions. The Blues were in no mood to waste time as PSG led 4-2 with two goals from Vicinha and Hviča Kvaratschelia.
As a result, the Portuguese winger, who had scored an assist for Enzo Fernandes, rushed to win the ball back from the kid on the side of the pitch. Neto, clearly dissatisfied with the speed of his work, shoved the man.
As he was knocked to the ground, PSG players rushed to confront Neto. VAR started checking for a possible red card, but Neto avoided punishment and apologized to the child.
Neto was keen to publicly apologize after the match. He told TNT Sports: “I want to convey the situation that happened on the pitch and apologize to the ball boy. I have already talked to him, I talked about my feelings about the game we lost, and I pushed him a little bit to get the ball. When I saw that I had hurt him, I immediately apologized. I am not that kind of person. That can’t happen, so I’m entrusting him with my shirt. I’m really, really sorry.”
read more: Chelsea surrender to PSG, Blues’ hopes in tatters as blunder triggersread more: PSG will be without key players for match against Chelsea due to Middle East conflict
The Portuguese star continued to apologize and admitted there was a language barrier, but his international colleague and PSG star Vicinha came to his defense and revealed that his actions were erratic.
It was the Parisians who scored their seventh goal of the night, dashing Chelsea’s hopes of returning to Europe. They cornered the French champions twice but were unable to hold on for next week’s second leg.
Filip Jorgensen made a glaring mistake midway through the second half, but it was the decisive factor that changed the course of the game. The Dane continued to play with a risky approach with the ball at his feet and one of his passes ended up in the alley. This led to Vicinha hitting a lob at the Chelsea goalkeeper, who was forced out of position.
The Chelsea winger quickly apologized for his abusive language.
The Blues face a difficult task if they are to keep their Champions League dreams alive. They beat Barcelona 3-0 earlier this season and have some notable wins at home, but a repeat seems unlikely as PSG continue their dominant form.
Kvaratschelia was key to PSG’s European title last season and believes they did their best. “I think today we showed that we’re capable of everything,” the Georgian said. “We have no choice but to keep going like this. We conceded two goals and saw our mistakes, but I’m satisfied with the three-goal victory. Now we’re focused on the next game.”
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive Mirror Football content every day. Community members also receive special offers, promotions, and advertisements from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check it out whenever you like. If you are interested, please read our privacy notice.
Free William Hill shop bets in the mirror every day in Cheltenham
Don’t miss out on our free shop bets published in your favorite horse racing newspaper every day during the Cheltenham Festival! Plus, every day from Tuesday 10th March to Friday 13th March 2026, you’ll get expert knowledge from top tipsters with drawers covering runners, riders and everything you need to rock the biggest ever Cheltenham Festival. Click here for more information.
Please only bet if you are over 18 years old. Terms and conditions apply. See the paper for details.
