Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

FA charges Chelsea's Hazard over ballboy clash

Updated at 6:52 am on 26 January 2013

Chelsea midfielder Eden Hazard has been charged with violent conduct by England's Football Association after this week's bizarre clash with a ballboy who prevented him from retrieving the ball.

And Hazard is facing the prospect of an additional ban for kicking the ball boy after the FA charged him over his red card in Chelsea's League Cup exit at Swansea.

The Belgian forward was already set to serve an automatic three-match ban for his red card in Thursday's League Cup semi-final second leg at Swansea City after kicking the teenager while trying to get the ball as the ballboy laid on top of it. The player subsequently apologised.

However, the FA insisted Friday that constituted an "insufficient" punishment for the offence.

Hazard has until Wednesday to respond to the charge.

The game ended in a 0-0 draw, sending Swansea through to next month's final 2-0 on aggregate.

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