Shakhtar´s Ferreyra apologises for ball boy shove

Shakhtar Donetsk forward Facundo Ferreyra has apologised for pushing a ball boy during his side’s Champions League defeat to Roma, insisting there was no “evil intent”.

Roma progressed on the away goals rule after Edin Dzeko’s strike earned a 1-0 win at Stadio Olimpico on Tuesday, with Shakhtar having won the first leg 2-1.

Ferreyra pushed a ball boy over the advertising hoardings in his haste to retrieve the ball with 10 minutes remaining, earning a booking and sparking a brief fracas between the teams.

The 27-year-old released a statement via Shakhtar’s Twitter account to apologise for his actions.

Facundo Ferreira statement about the incident in @officialasroma vs Shakhtar game:

“I’m really sorry for what happened. That’s football, it was a very emotional moment in the match. There was no evil intent on my part… pic.twitter.com/6qzWrxk7Np

— FC SHAKHTAR ENGLISH (@FCShakhtar_eng) March 14, 2018

“I’m really sorry for what happened. That’s football, it was a very emotional moment in the match. There was no evil intent on my part,” he said.

“I hope the boy, Matteo, is all right now. I would like to once again convey the words of apology to the boy, his family and the club.”