UEFA have officially opened disciplinary proceedings against Pedro Neto following an incident during Chelsea’s 5–2 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League.
The development was confirmed by Fabrizio Romano via a post on his X handle. UEFA stated that disciplinary proceedings have been initiated against Neto for unsporting behaviour under Article 15 of the UEFA Disciplinary Regulations.
Softfootball gathered that The incident occurred late in the match when the Portuguese winger attempted to retrieve the ball quickly as Chelsea chased the game. A ball boy hesitated to release the ball, prompting Neto to shove him to the ground, which sparked brief tensions between players from both teams.
In an post, Fabrizio confirmed:
UEFA statement announce disciplinary proceedings have been instigated against Pedro Neto for unsporting behaviour in accordance with Article 15 of UEFA Disciplinary Regulations.
UEFA’s disciplinary bodies will take a decision on this case in due course.
The result followed a dramatic domestic cup victory for the London side, as Chelsea defeated Wrexham 4–2 away in the fifth round of the FA Cup on March 7, 2026. Despite progressing, the performance raised concerns among supporters after Wrexham pushed the Premier League side throughout the match.
Neto could face a one-match suspension depending on the outcome of the investigation.
The winger later apologised for the incident and attempted to make amends after the match by giving the ball boy his jersey.
“With the emotions of the game, we were losing and I wanted to pick up the ball,” “I gave him a little push. I saw that I hurt him and I am sorry, as I’m not like this.”
Neto explained to reporters.
The controversy came during a difficult night for Chelsea, who suffered a heavy defeat against Paris Saint-Germain in Europe.
Elsewhere in the Champions League, Manchester City endured a difficult evening after suffering a 3–0 defeat to Real Madrid. The standout performer was Federico Valverde, who scored the first senior hat-trick of his career.
Valverde opened the scoring in the 20th minute with an assist from goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, added a second in the 27th minute following a move created by Vinícius Júnior, and completed his hat-trick in the 42nd minute with an assist from Brahim Díaz.
The result left Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola searching for answers as his side struggled to match Madrid’s clinical finishing on the night.
