Wenger: Both Hazard and Swansea ballboy to blame

Jan 25, 2013 3:10:00 PM

The Arsenal boss believes that both parties were in the wrong during Wednesday night's Capital One Cup semi-final but defends the Chelsea forward as "not a violent player"

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes that Chelsea forward Eden Hazard and the Swansea City ballboy were both in the wrong over the controversial events at the Liberty Stadium on Wednesday night but has defended the Belgian, observing that ballboys "aren't there to waste time."

The Blues star appeared to kick 17-year-old Charlie Morgan in the ribs late on in the Capital One Cup semi-final when the youngster sought to prevent the Blues from getting the ball back and chase the game.

Both parties have since apologised to each other and, while Wenger feels that each must take some of the blame, he argues that the ballboy should not have disrupted the flow of the match.

"Both of them were wrong," the Gunners boss told the club's official website.

"The ballboys are there to get the ball back to the players and into the game as quickly as possible, they are not there to waste time.

"You have to educate the ballboys that,no matter if it is the home team or the away team, you have to get the ball back quickly. Anything else is not acceptable.

"Hazard is not a violent player. He wanted to get the ball back as quickly as possible, which you can understand. In my opinion, he went in a little bit too strongly but I don't think he wanted to hurt the boy. He just wanted to get the ball back.

"We should not become ridiculous here. He did not want to harm anybody. You finish the story with the red card."