The independent regulatory commission revealed today why Thomas Tuchel was handed a one-match ban but Antonio Conte wasn’t following their scuffle in Chelsea’s draw with Tottenham.
Tensions were high at Stamford Bridge earlier this month as Conte’s Spurs looked to pull off the upset in West London. A fiery game ensued and the two coaches had a brief coming together during the match, but things really boiled over after the full time whistle. The pair shared a uniquely aggressive handshake, which almost saw them come to blows before being separated.
Conte was handed a £15,000 fine but avoided suspension following the incident, whilst Tuchel was handed a £35,000 penalty and a one-match ban.
The independent regulatory commission’s report today suggested that “it was quite clearly Tuchel who instigated the confrontation between himself and Conte by choosing to grip the latter’s hand and jolt him back after he had passed him by.”
The report continued to detail the reasoning, noting “had he not gripped Conte’s hand the confrontation between the two and the subsequent melee that followed would not have occurred. Tuchel gripping Conte’s hand for the reason he gave was simply not justifiable.
“Cursory handshakes are a common occurrence at the end of highly-charged football matches and there exists no obligation for one person to look the other in the eye whilst shaking hands.
“Tuchel telling Conte to look him in the eyes whilst gripping his hand and not allowing Conte to move away was a highly provocative act.
“Conte was unwillingly pulled, literally, into the confrontation with Tuchel. Conte did react aggressively to those actions but the commission did not consider him to have hugely over-reacted given the circumstances.
“Conte did remain irate after he had extricated himself from Tuchel’s grip and others had separated the two. Conte appears to enter into a brief but heated verbal exchange with the Chelsea player, Cesar Azpilicueta, before leaving the pitch.
“The confrontation between Tuchel and Conte caused a mass gathering of staff, players and stewards that could easily have escalated the situation.
“Whilst certain aspects of Conte’s behaviour could be considered as being improper, indeed he admitted as much, the commission considered Tuchel to be largely culpable for the incident and unanimously felt that this ought to be clearly and definitively reflected in the level of sanction imposed on them.”
Conte took over at Tottenham last November from Nuno Espirito Santo and has done well in North London, working alongside sporting director Fabio Paratici.