Eden Hazard, a Belgium star who plays for Chelsea in the English Premier League, capped the Blues' nightmarish end in the League Cup by kicking a ball boy who was apparently wasting time in returning the ball to the pitch after it went out of play.
The ball had gone across the end line in the 79th minute during a 0-0 draw Wednesday against Swansea City, giving Chelsea a goal kick. A ball boy was attempting to retrieve the ball when Hazard ran up and made contact with the teenager, knocking him to the ground. The ball boy appeared to stall for time by covering the ball under his torso as he lay on the ground.
The Chelsea midfielder, who turned 21 on Jan. 7, then kicked the boy in the ribs, causing him to roll over and expose the ball. Hazard grabbed it and ran back onto the pitch. Referee Chris Foy immediately gave Hazard a red card.
Swansea advanced to the League Cup final, where it will play fourth-tier Bradford City, with a 2-0 aggregate result.
Rafa Benitez, Chelsea's manager, said Hazard and the ball boy later apologized to each other.
“They both recognize there was a mistake,” Benitez said. “The boy was apologizing for time wasting. Hazard was frustrated and tried to get the ball. He was kicking the ball and getting the ball.”
Swansea Manager Michael Laudrup was less forgiving.
“The ball boy should have let the ball go, but he was pushed first and then he kicks him,” Laudrup said. “As a player, when you are behind, your pulse is very high and sometimes you say and do things. You overreact. But there are some things you cannot do.”
The real story of the Eden Hazard Affair
Posted by Iain Macintosh
From the harrumphing of the newspapers and the wails of indignation on the Internet, it seems that the Eden Hazard Affair was either the most shocking incident in modern-day football, or an entirely justified act of vigilantism. In truth, it was neither. It was silly, it was stupid and, if we're being honest, it was also very funny. But the Football Association should move quickly to shut it down now.
The beauty of Hazard's kick is that it was so wonderfully inexcusable. After the 'nuances' of the Luis Suarez saga and the 'context' of the John Terry case, it's refreshing to have a story so cut and dried. He kicked a ballboy! On live television and right in front of a stand full of supporters, he kicked a ballboy in the ribs! Quite understandably, the game's founding fathers never thought this would be an issue, so there's not even a law for it. Nevertheless, Hazard will be punished, and rightly so. A six-match ban for the twin crimes of violent conduct and bringing the game in disrepute would seem a sensible conclusion to the affair.
But it was just a kick. It was not, as some have rather hysterically labelled it, an 'assault.' It was a frustrated, petulant jab at a tracksuited annoyance. Had it happened on the sidelines of a park game, it would have been shrugged off as an occupational hazard for those who want to 'play with the big boys.' Hazard shouldn't have done it, of that there is no question, but it was hardly a Rodney King-style beatdown.
As for the ballboy, 17-year-old Charlie Morgan, I think he's been punished enough already. Yes, he knew what he was doing. He threw himself on the ball and wrapped himself around it, doing everything he could to prevent Hazard from restarting play. His actions have been compared to a brave soldier throwing himself on a grenade to save his unit, but that would credit him with rather more nobility than he deserves. Morgan was stupid, but so was I at 17. And so were you.
He's little more than a child and now he has to cope with the apocalyptic blast of sudden global fame, not to mention a stream of death threats. If you never did anything stupid when you were a teenager, then by all means add your bile to the queue. If not, leave him alone. Besides, Morgan's biggest concern should be that one of the commentators thought he was only 11 years old. Just imagine the stick he's currently taking from his mates.
But before the FA hand out the bans and we all move on, perhaps a few words might be had with Swansea. Morgan told his Twitter followers before the match that he was 'needed for timewasting,' and if that was his brief, he certainly fulfilled it to the letter. Swansea, naturally, denied that they had given out any such orders, but it wouldn't be the first time that a club has used its most junior members of staff to such a nefarious end. There are a number of Premier League clubs who have sent their ballboys down the tunnel when they're protecting a narrow lead. There are others who provide fresh towels to their own players so that they can dry the ball before a throw-in. Perhaps this would be a good time to quietly remind clubs of their responsibilities to fair play.
But the most important reason to swiftly shut this down and move on is that it will give us a chance to focus on something far more important -- Swansea's progression to the league cup final. Neither ballboys nor Bradford should obscure the incredible journey that this football club has been on over the last 10 years. On the brink of extinction and scrapping around at the foot of the fourth division in 2002, they are now profitable, they play in a beautiful all-seater stadium, they are 20 percent owned by the supporters and they have an elected fan on the board of directors. In a month of controversy over the cost of tickets, it's worth pointing out that the purchase of a season ticket at Swansea automatically qualifies you for membership of the trust and therefore a very small slice of ownership. On top of all of that, they play entertaining, expansive and rather successful football. They are an example for others to follow and, with a bit of luck, this cup final will be the first of many.
That should be the real story of the night. That should be what we're talking about. Not a silly kick by a silly footballer at a silly boy.
LinkBack URL
About LinkBacks
Reply With Quote