Pedro Neto speaks out after shoving ball boy in Chelsea’s defeat to PSG

Pedro Neto has issued an apology after shoving a ball boy to the ground during Chelsea’s 5-2 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Wednesday night.

Liam Rosenior’s side have a mountain to climb in the return leg at Stamford Bridge next week as the Champions League holders scored three late goals at the Parc des Princes.

Neto, meanwhile, sparked a huge bust-up between the two sides after he pushed a ball boy to the ground because he refused to give the ball back to the Chelsea winger.

The Portugal international checked on the ball boy immediately after pushing him and issued an apology after the game.

‘I want to come out to say that the situation that happened on the pitch, I want to apologise to the ball boy already, I spoke with him, the emotions of the game, we were losing, I wanted to pick up the ball, he was keeping the ball with him, I gave him a little push and I saw that I hurt him,’ Neto said.

‘Straight away, because I’m not like this, in the heat of the moment I went to apologise, I gave him my shirt as well because that cannot happen and so I’m really, really sorry about that. And I just want to say one more time I’m really sorry to him.

‘I feel like I have to apologise to him. In the heat of the moment, how football is, you have a lot of emotions, I wanted to get the ball fast, I gave him a push and I wanted to say sorry to him.

‘Straight away at the end he came to speak with me and he even laughed because he was happy I gave him my shirt and I said sorry like 35 times. I’m really sorry about that and the situation. He knew what happened as well so he was happy as well that in the end I said sorry.

‘I didn’t understand at first, he told me something and laughed as well and so I think he knew in the heat of the moment I’m not like that, things happen, the only thing that matters is that I was worried about him, so I’m really sorry about the situation.’

For more stories like this, check our sport page.

Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.