Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel and his Tottenham counterpart Antonio Conte have been penalized by the FA after both managers clashed on Premier League Matchday 2.
On Sunday, 14 August 2022, a fiery game between two London rivals in the Premier League – Chelsea and Tottenham sparked an uproar when tensions spilled over from the pitch to the touchline. A dramatic series of goals and counter goals dragged Thomas Tuchel and Antonio Conte into a heated clash. Both managers crossed each other’s technical area on the touchline to celebrate each time their team flung the ball into the net.
Both the touchline and the on-pitch rivalry were not a surprise. Conte had admitted before the match, how difficult it was to face their noisy London neighbors – Chelsea. In the 2021-2022 football season, Conte lost back-to-back-to-back to Thomas Tuchel within 18 days in January.
Before this fourth encounter, Tuchel’s dominance over Antonio Conte’s Tottenham was established, but the Italian was ready to contest that dominance with his new 2022 Tottenham squad emboldened with an array of newly-signed stars.
The match kicked off in earnest. Chelsea picked on their visitors’ lapses and dominated the game as usual. Chelsea’s new signing from Napoli, Kalidou Coulibaly, struck to give the host the lead. Tuchel greet the goal with a wild celebration on the touchline. The Blues went into the break with a 1-0 narrow lead.
It was Hojbjerg’s 68th-minute low strike that tied the game for the visitors. Conte responded with a counter-reaction to Tuchel to celebrate the goal. The referee spotted a creeping rift between the two, and they were issued warnings with a yellow card.
In the 77th minute, Stamford Bridge bounced again into an uproar as Reece James struck to give the hosts a deserved lead. The match climaxed when Kane headed in a 96th-minute equaliser to deny Tuchel a vital home victory. Conte tweaked, running amok with celebration.
The final whistle was blown, but tempers flared at the touchlines. A handshake between the German and the Italian managers turned into a heated brawl as they squared against each other.
FA Punishment for Thomas Tuchel and Antonio Conte
After an investigation by the FA, the managers have been penalized for the incident. Thomas Tuchel has been fined £35,000, including a one-match ban, while Antonio Conte has been fined £15,000 for breaching “FA Rule E3.”
“An independent regulatory commission has today ordered that Thomas Tuchel be fined £35,000 and banned from the touchline for one match, and Antonio Conte be fined £15,000 after they respectively breached FA Rule E3,” an FA statement read.
The two coaches have admitted wrongdoing and improper conduct during the match. While the fine still stands, Tuchel’s touchline ban is temporarily suspended until the FA forwards a detailed written reason on why the decision has been taken.
