Chelsea midfielder Hazard apologises for altercation with Swansea ball boy
Eden Hazard has said sorry to the ball boy he appeared to kick during Chelsea’s Capital One Cup semi-final against Swansea City on Wednesday evening, BBC Sport has reported.
The incident occurred in the second-half, when Hazard was keen to retrieve the ball to hurry up Swansea’s goal kick and the ball boy took his time in returning the ball to the Swansea goalkeeper, Gerhard Tremmel.
Hazard jostled the 17-year-old ball boy, who fell on top of the ball and, in his eagerness to kick the ball loose, the Belgian kicked the ball from under the ball boy but also struck the teenager. Hazard was then sent off by referee Chris Foy for his part in the altercation.
“The boy put his whole body on to the ball and I was just trying to kick the ball,” Hazard said. He added: “I think I kicked the ball and not the boy. I apologise.”
The ball boy, who cannot be named because of his age, was after the match taken into the Chelsea dressing room, where he and Hazard shook hands - and the ball boy apologised for wasting time, Chelsea manager Rafael Benitez said - and Chelsea players Frank Lampard and John Terry also met and spoke with the ball boy.
In the match Swansea held on to their two-goal lead from the first-leg, seeing out a goalless draw that puts the Welsh side through to the Capital One Cup final for the first time, where they will play League Two side Bradford City, conquerors of Aston Villa in the competition’s other semi-final.
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