Hazard was shown a straight red card by referee Chris Foy in the 80th minute of Wednesday’s semi-final second leg after attempting to kick the ball from beneath a ball boy who was lying on top of it, apparently deliberately.
The pair later apologised to each other, but Hazard could still face charges from the Football Association after receiving the first red card of his career.
The boy was identified in media reports as Charlie Morgan, the 17-year-old son of Swansea director Martin Morgan.
In a message on his Twitter account written before the game, Charlie Morgan appeared to joke that he would try to waste time in a bid to help the home side protect their 2-0 aggregate lead.
“The king of all ball boys is back making his final appearance #needed #for #timewasting,” he wrote.
By 1130GMT on Thursday, the account had attracted over 84,000 followers, although Charlie Morgan had not written anything since the incident.
Stoke City striker Michael Owen defended Hazard’s actions on Twitter, writing: “Both the kid and Hazard were in the wrong. Not having (accepting that) Hazard tried to hurt him though. He just tried to toe poke it out of his grip.”
Tottenham Hotspur winger Gareth Bale also sided with the Belgian international, tweeting: “Unbelievable decision by the referee to send Hazard off but congrats to Swansea.”
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Hazard, 22, was Chelsea’s star close-season signing, arriving from French club Lille for a reported fee of £32 million ($50.7 million, 38 million euros).
He has made an impressive start to life at Stamford Bridge, scoring eight goals and laying on 12 assists in 37 games, and one of his Chelsea predecessors, Pat Nevin, believes he was more sinned against than sinning at Swansea.
“I would have kicked the ball out from underneath the ball boy if he had been lying like that, 100 per cent,” Nevin told BBC Radio 5 Live.
The former Chelsea winger also branded Charlie Morgan’s behaviour “disgraceful”.
“I was very, very disappointed by the way the ball boy acted, and I say ‘acted’,” he said.
“He must have been watching footballers, the way he rolled around and pretended to be more injured. He only has one job and his job is to go and give the ball back, and what did he do? He keeps the ball.
“I have to say I was absolutely amazed this morning to find he is 17 — not 12, not 13. He should know what his action should be in that situation. His behaviour was disgraceful.”
However, former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher said Foy had made the right decision in showing Hazard a straight red card.
“The referee has taken the correct action,” he said.
“It’s against the laws of the game to commit violent conduct on anyone under the jurisdiction of the game.
“I can’t reinforce how switched on the officials were. It would have been so easy for the assistant referee not to pick that (incident) up — but he did.”
Chelsea interim manager Rafael Benitez criticised the ball boy for “wasting time”, but Swansea vice-chairman Leigh Dineen said Hazard had been wholly in the wrong.
“You can’t kick out at anybody. I don’t think you can do that. If it was done on the field of play, there would be plenty of questions to be answered,” he said.
Swansea will face fourth-tier Bradford City in the tournament final on February 24, and Dineen joked that the south Wales club would consider taking their own ball boys to Wembley for the game.
“If we need to,” he said. “I am sure Wembley will have their own.”
he’s like 4 years too old for a ball boy, he’s the chairmans son so i suppose he’s there because of connections and not due to his footballing talent like the rest of them
both were wrong but it proves something . If the players led by example and stopped diving and feigning life threatening injuries then maybe the younger generation might stop aping the stars! its.a bit rich for players and ex pros to criticise the kid for acting ,ironic really
if hazard played for man utd , the ref would have sent off the ball boy. fergie would have said the ball boy rolled into his foot. hazard kicked the ball not the boy. he should have kicked him harder for time wasteing
Anyone who heard Nevin’s reasoning on Match of the Day for Rooney not getting the penalty against Spurs would realise that the man actually is an idiot
Nevin clearly didn’t say that it shouldn’t have been a penalty, he said that the ref could not have given it from his view of the incident. Nevin even said that the linesman should have given it.
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he’s like 4 years too old for a ball boy, he’s the chairmans son so i suppose he’s there because of connections and not due to his footballing talent like the rest of them
He used to be ballboy a few years ago but was asked to do it last night when several of the ballboys could not make it because of the snow
both were wrong but it proves something . If the players led by example and stopped diving and feigning life threatening injuries then maybe the younger generation might stop aping the stars! its.a bit rich for players and ex pros to criticise the kid for acting ,ironic really
you seem to know everything Colm
It’s being called colm were great we are
He was only filling in for some at the last minute.
if hazard played for man utd , the ref would have sent off the ball boy. fergie would have said the ball boy rolled into his foot. hazard kicked the ball not the boy. he should have kicked him harder for time wasteing
‘Should have kicked him harder’! ……funnily enough Joey Barton said the same thing as you! Great minds think alike and …………(you know the rest)
Pat nevin is an idiot
Says yourself
Anyone who heard Nevin’s reasoning on Match of the Day for Rooney not getting the penalty against Spurs would realise that the man actually is an idiot
Nevin clearly didn’t say that it shouldn’t have been a penalty, he said that the ref could not have given it from his view of the incident. Nevin even said that the linesman should have given it.
Who did you say was the idiot?
Actually where did I say that he said it wasn’t a penalty, I said his reasoning. What was that you were saying about idiots?
he couldve been a ball boy a few years ago because of his father as well, snow or no snow..
True that Col