The FA have charged Thomas Tuchel and Antonio Conte following their spat during Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur's dramatic 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
Tuchel has been issued a £35,000 fine and a suspended one-game ban, meaning he'll still be on the touchline for the Blues' trip to Leeds on Sunday. Conte, meanwhile, has been handed a £15,000 fine. Chelsea boss Tuchel criticised referee Anthony Taylor post-match, suggesting that "maybe it would be better" if Taylor never refereed his side again.
But Tuchel and Conte were both responsible for causing a stir during and after the match, first clashing on the touchline following Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg's controversial equaliser for Spurs. After the full-time whistle, another row was sparked when Tuchel and Conte exchanged words during their post-match handshake.
"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. "Thomas Tuchel and Antonio Conte admitted that their behaviour after the final whistle of the Premier League game between Chelsea FC and Tottenham Hotspur FC on Sunday 14 August 2022 was improper, and both managers requested a paper hearing.
"These sanctions are subject to appeal, and Thomas Tuchel's one match touchline ban has been suspended temporarily pending the independent Regulatory Commission's written reasons for its decisions that will be made available in due course."
Chelsea manager Tuchel was furious that both of Tottenham's goals were allowed to stand, as replays showed that Blues wing-back Marc Cucurella's hair had been pulled by Spurs defender Cristian Romero just seconds before Harry Kane's header in the 96th minute hit the back of the net, which was Tottenham's second equaliser.
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Mike Dean, who was on VAR duty, decided not to refer Taylor to the pitch-side monitor, where he'd likely have deemed Romero's actions to be illegal and ruled the goal out, surely securing Chelsea the win in the process. On Thursday, Dean admitted his error in a column for the Mail.
"In the few seconds I had to study Romero pulling Cucurella's hair, I didn't deem it a violent act," the experienced official wrote. "I've since studied the footage, spoken to other referees and, upon reflection, I should have asked Taylor to visit his pitch-side monitor to take a look for himself.
"The referee on field always has the final say. It goes to show that no matter how experienced you are, and I've spent more than two decades as a Premier League official, you are always learning. It's disappointing for me as this was one incident in an otherwise very good weekend from our officials. Decisions are debated – that's the life of a referee."
