The FA has confirmed that Pedro Neto will be handed a further one-match ban for “misconduct” following the Chelsea winger’s sending off against Arsenal earlier this month. Neto was given his marching orders after collecting two yellow cards in quick succession as the Blues lost 2-1 to the Gunners at the Emirates.
The Portuguese player was said to have behaved in an “inappropriate manner”, including “failing to leave the pitch promptly and using abusive language towards match officials”. Neto has since accepted the charges against him.
A spokesperson for the FA said in a statement: “Pedro Neto has been suspended for one match and fined £70,000 for misconduct which occurred after he was sent off in Chelsea’s Premier League game against Arsenal on Sunday 1 March.”
“After being sent off in the 70th minute, the player is alleged to have engaged in inappropriate behavior, including failing to leave the pitch promptly and verbally abusing match officials.”
Pedro Neto later admitted the charges against him. The independent regulatory commission imposed these sanctions following a public hearing, and written reasons for its decision will be published in due course.
Neto will miss Saturday night’s Premier League clash between Chelsea and Newcastle at Stamford Bridge, despite already serving a one-match suspension for last week’s game against Aston Villa.
The Blues winger is under investigation by UEFA after he shoved a ball boy during his team’s defeat to Paris Saint-Germain. In the second half, Neto, out of frustration, pushed the ball boy and tried to get the ball back.
He apologized to his players at full-time at the Parc des Princes, but Liam Rosenior admitted in Friday’s pre-match press conference against Newcastle that it wasn’t a good look. “I just saw that incident and the situation doesn’t look good… I understand Pedro’s mindset. He wants to get the ball back into play as soon as possible and he wants to win for the club,” Rosseniol said.
“There’s a way to do it. What I was so impressed by him was that that was his idea and he wanted to apologize right away. Like I said, people make mistakes, whether it’s a goalkeeper or me as a manager or a player. It’s important to learn from those mistakes and make sure they don’t happen again.”
