Bernd Leno has taken on heavy criticism on social media for shoving a ballboy during Fulham’s match against Bournemouth on Boxing Day.
Fulham were 2-0 down to Bournemouth with time running out for the visitors to find a way back into the match.
Leno, in a clear hurry to get play restarted, rushed over to the ballboy nearest to him to grab the ball and gave the kid a push after taking the ball out of his hands.
That made the German shot-stopper enemy No 1 among the home supporters and the incident was soon picked up on social media.
Bernd Leno shoved the ballboy
AMAZON
Leno later apologised to the ballboy before the end of the game, going over to hug him.
It also drew some comparisons to when Chelsea hero Eden Hazard was sent off for kicking out at a ball boy back in 2013.
One person compared it to Hazard’s ballboy incident, writing: “Leno remembered what happened with Hazard and quickly apologised to the ball boy.”
Another asked: “Leno didn’t even get a card for the push on the ball boy but hazard got sent off for the one he did years ago.”
A third viewer vented: “Bernd Leno is such a disgrace.”
Nearly 11 years ago, Hazard was sent off after attempting to kick the ball from under the Swansea ballboy.
Leno’s incident wasn’t quite as violent, but Kevin Campbell clearly felt the Fulham star overstepped the mark.
Campbell on BBC Radio 5 Live: “Bernd Leno is out of order.
“He shouldn’t put his hand on the ball boy.
Eden Hazard was sent off for kicking a ballboy in 2013
GETTY
“The ball boys are told if their team is winning, you slow the game down. We all know this.
“Just go and grab the ball, you don’t need to put your hand on his chest.”
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Bernd Leno let in three goals against Bournemouth
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Fulham weren’t able to recover in the latter stages of the match though and Bournemouth ended up scoring a third through Luis Sinisterra.
The result sees Bournemouth climb up to 10th in the table, above Chelsea after playing the same amount of matches.
Fulham drop down to 13th having lost three games on the bounce.
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