Chelsea and Portugal attacker, Pedro Neto, has apologised for shoving a ball boy during Chelsea F.C.’s 5–2 Champions League loss to Paris Saint‑Germain (PSG) on Wednesday night, March 11.

The Chelsea winger pushed the ball boy after the boy prevented him from getting the ball when he tried to swiftly grab the ball as Chelsea was losing deep into stoppage time at Parc des Princes.

Players from both sides engaged in a brief altercation after Neto was seen putting both hands on the little ball boy, causing him to tumble onto a nearby chair.

The 26-year-old said after the game that his hasty decision was caused by his annoyance at Chelsea’s predicament and his strong desire to return to the game.

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“I want to apologise to the ball boy. I have already spoken to him,” Neto said in a post-match interview.

“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.”

Neto added that he apologised to the youngster after the match and gave him his jersey as a gesture of goodwill. He explained that communication was helped by his Portugal teammate Vitinha, who translated during the exchange.

“My French is not very good, and Vitinha came over and explained that I’m not like this,” Neto said.

“In the end, he laughed, and I gave him my shirt and said sorry many times. He understood what had happened and was happy with the situation.”

Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior also addressed the incident, offering an apology if the club’s actions were deemed inappropriate.

“I saw there was an altercation with the ball boy. If there was anything from our side that was wrong or out of order, I apologise on behalf of the club,” Rosenior said, adding that he had not yet reviewed the footage.

The incident happened on a challenging night for Chelsea as Paris Saint-Germain established a dominating lead in the first leg of the match, and it is yet uncertain if UEFA will take disciplinary action.