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What a difference 45 minutes makes
From Chelsea's official Twitter feed...
9.45pm: 'Has football gone mad? Hazard is sent off for kicking the ball under a ballboy attempting to smother the ball rather than return it. #CFC'
10.30pm: ‘Apologies for earlier ballboy tweet. Hazard has now met with the ballboy and has said sorry. #CFC’
Eden Hazard is facing the full wrath of the FA and potential police action after his astonishing attack on a ball boy overshadowed Swansea’s march to the Capital One Cup final.
The Chelsea midfielder kicked 17-year-old Charlie Morgan in the ribs as he retrieved the ball with 10 minutes left in the semi-final second leg.
Hazard was sent off, and the draw saw Swansea progress to next month’s final against Bradford City.
Chief Supt Josh Jones of South Wales Police said: ‘We are aware of the incident involving a ball boy at the Liberty Stadium. We are making arrangements for him to be interviewed.’
VIDEO: Scroll down to see Hazard kick ball boy Morgan
Madness: Eden Hazard kicks out at the ball boy at the Liberty Stadium
Injured: The ballboy was named as 17-year-old Charlie Morgan, the son of Swansea director David
Hazard later told Chelsea TV: ‘The boy put his whole body onto the ball and I was just trying to kick the ball and I think I kicked the ball and not the boy. I apologise.
‘The ball boy came in the changing room and I apologised and the boy apologised as well, and it is over. Sorry.’
Hazard will almost certainly be handed a hefty FA sanction. Chelsea and Swansea spokesmen claimed Morgan, whose father is club director Martin Morgan, will not be pressing charges, but the police may yet intervene.
It is the latest incident to blight Chelsea’s season, but manager Rafa Benitez, whose side crashed out 2-0 on aggregate after defeat at Stamford Bridge a fortnight ago, was weak in his condemnation.
He said: ‘The boy has been in the dressing room and they have spoken.
‘They have apologised to each other. They knew they were both wrong. He was wasting time. Hazard wanted to get the ball back quickly. They both made mistakes.’
Flashpoint: Morgan hides the ball from Hazard before the Belgian lashed out, leading to Demba Ba comforting the 17-year-old (below)
How do you become a ball boy?
It varies from club to club, but none deploy ball boys over the age of 16 - Swansea's Charlie Morgan is 17.
At Arsenal, trials are held for 'Junior Gunners' - club members - between the ages of 12 and 16. This is the standard model for most clubs, i.e. to involve children who are club members in the matchday experience.
Often the age restriction is even lower, for example, Manchester City restricted the ages of their ball boys and girls to the ages of 11 and 12 this season.
Benitez refused to disclose what, if any, punishment the club will hand out.
He said: ‘We will deal with this internally. We will analyse and we will wait and see what happens (with the FA).’
Morgan, a ball boy for six years at Swansea, earlier tweeted that it was his last game and hinted at a time-wasting role. He posted: ‘The king of all ball boys is back making his final appearance #needed #for #timewasting’.
He was taken to the Swansea dressing room and was later ushered away from the ground with a hood over his head.
Former Chelsea and England manager Glenn Hoddle sympathised with Hazard.
He said on Sky Sports: ‘Mark my words, the ball boys will have been told to do that. As a manager, you will tell people instructing the ball boys that if you’re winning the game, don’t give the ball back quickly.’
Attack: Hazard kicks out at ball boy Morgan as he lies on top of the ball
Swansea manager Michael Laudrup said: ‘I was a player and I can understand he was frustrated and you want the ball boy to give him the ball. I can understand it to a certain extent, but there are things you can never do.’
Swansea captain Ashley Williams said: ‘Demba Ba told me the ball boy held on to it but I saw him kick him and you can’t do that to a young boy.’
Chelsea’s official Twitter feed initially attempted to make light of the incident, posting: ‘Has football gone mad? Hazard is sent off for kicking the ball under a ball boy attempting to smother the ball rather than return it.’ Chelsea later apologised for the comment.
The incident overshadowed Swansea’s remarkable achievement in reaching the first major cup final in their 100-year history.
The king of all ball boys: Charlie Morgan's tweets before the game
Speaking about Bradford’s feat in becoming the first fourth-tier side to reach a Wembley final after they saw off Aston Villa, Laudrup said: ‘What Bradford has done — there are no words.
‘They have beaten three Premier League teams, it is marvellous. If I had a hat on I would take it off.’
Laudrup added: ‘We are there in the final and I think everyone — players, the club, fans — need a few days to understand what we have done. We have a month to take it in. To enjoy it. Not often in football you can stop and enjoy it and we can enjoy this next month.’
Laudrup added: ‘We are there in the final and I think everyone — players, the club, fans — need a few days to understand what we have done. We have a month to take it in. To enjoy it. Not often in football you can stop and enjoy it and we can enjoy this next month.’
The reaction on twitter: The footballing world responded with varying opinions
Tete a tete: Referee Chris Foy (left) consults one of his officials as the ball boy lies hurt on the floor
Red mist: Foy hands out the red card as Hazard and his team-mates look on in disbelief
A Swansea spokesman said: 'The police have interviewed the boy and his father and there are no charges going to be pressed, as far as they are concerned that is the matter closed.
'The ball boy has been into the Chelsea dressing room after the game and shaken hands with Eden Hazard. The likes of John Terry and Frank Lampard were exemplary in their behaviour in welcoming him into the dressing room.
'Chelsea asked if he could come in and our kit lady took him in and they shook hands, he is fine.
'As far as we are concerned the matter is closed. He has been a ball boy here for six years with no incidents here at the stadium.'
'As far as we are concerned the matter is closed. He has been a ball boy here for six years with no incidents here at the stadium.'
VIDEO: Watch Hazard's attack on Swansea ball boy Morgan
