Bayern Munich's Josip Stanisic said it was "stupid" of him to push a ball boy off his stool after he tossed the ball away in stoppage time of their Champions League match against Inter Milan on Wednesday.
A 2-2 draw in the second leg at the San Riso saw hosts Inter advance to the semifinals 4-3 on aggregate.
The Germans had been pushing for a late winner when defender Stanisic tried to get the ball back into play quickly, pushing the ball boy to the ground in frustration when he threw the ball away from him.
The Inter bench leapt to their feet to confront Stanisic, who escaped punishment from the referee.
"Every team in the world wastes time when they're leading," Stanisic told German newspaper Abenzeitung after the game. "It was a bit stupid of me to push him there."