The Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno could face retrospective action from the Football Association after shoving a ballboy in the defeat at Bournemouth. Leno, who had already been booked, avoided a red card but could face further punishment.
Leno pushed the boy with his left hand after collecting the ball for a second-half goalkick, before later embracing the youngster and apologising during a break in play.
Fulham’s manager, Marco Silva, accused Andoni Iraola’s side of time‑wasting tactics as they lost 3-0. Silva played down the incident, insisting the Fulham goalkeeper touched – but did not push – the ballboy.
Silva confirmed he spoke with Leno to establish his version of events. “It is clear he [Leno] went to speak with the boy after that moment as the top professional and the really experienced player he is,” Silva said.
“He wanted to play quick and the ballboys were … I don’t know who gave instructions to them for them to always hold the ball and to delay the [restart of the] game … OK, we were losing, he ran towards the ball. I didn’t see him push the ballboy. He touched the ballboy, he didn’t push the ballboy – they are different things. I’m not English but I know the difference between one word and the other. We have to say the truth.”
After the incident the referee, Tim Robinson, asked for the ballboys to stand down from duty, resulting in the absence of the multiball system for the final stages of the game. The Premier League confirmed the multiball system was withdrawn on 79 minutes.
“The fourth official [James Linington] was so clear that the ballboys were delaying the game,” Silva said. “In that moment the game was already 2-0 but the rules are there and it should be with the ballboys. The ballboys did their job, probably with instructions to delay the game, and what the referee did in that moment was to finish the multiball [system] to stop the situation that they were always delaying and the problems that can happen. The referee took that decision.
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“I was so really upset with our performance I didn’t have the energy to start to complain … for me it was difficult to understand the situation because if you’re losing the game multiball should be there. If it was there until that moment, it should be there until the last minute.”
Iraola, whose side have won six of their past seven matches, rejected suggestions that Bournemouth asked their ballboys to delay restarts. “For sure, they were not instructed,” the head coach said.