Chelsea's Bosingwa apologizes for kicking Benayoun

"It was never my intention to hurt him," defender says.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
yossi benayoun 298.88 (photo credit: AP)
yossi benayoun 298.88
(photo credit: AP)
Chelsea defender Jose Bosingwa has apologized to Liverpool's Israeli international midfielder Yossi Benayoun for kicking him in the back during the closing moments of Sunday's Premier League clash. Bosingwa was lucky to avoid a red card for a high kick at Benayoun, who was shielding the ball near the corner flag with his team leading 2-0 with seconds to go. "I apologize for what I did and it was never my intention to hurt him," Bosingwa said on Monday after Chelsea's defeat left the team five points behind leader Manchester United, which has a game in hand. Also Monday, Chelsea lodged an appeal against Frank Lampard's red card against Liverpool in an effort to avert a three-game suspension for the midfielder. Lampard was sent off by referee Mike Riley in the 60th minute of Chelsea's 2-0 loss at Anfield on Sunday for a sliding challenge on Xabi Alonso. However, replays showed that Lampard had got to the ball first and that Alonso had actually kicked the Chelsea player. In a bad-tempered game, Riley also showed yellow cards to four Liverpool and three Chelsea players. Lampard is due to miss games against Hull and Aston Villa in the Premier League with an FA Cup match at Watford in between and Chelsea has asked the Football Association to overturn the red card so that he will not have to serve the ban. The FA said it would hear the appeal on Tuesday.