Thomas Tuchel has criticised the FA’s decision to give him, and not Antonio Conte, a touchline ban for their feisty confrontation.
Tuchel and Conte were both given red cards for their parts in a bad-tempered end to Chelsea ’s 2-2 draw against Tottenham on August 14. The FA later decided to fine Tuchel £35,000 and give him a suspended one-game touchline ban, while Conte was hit with a £15,000 fine.
The incident was sparked by the post-match handshake and saw staff from both clubs, as well as players, get involved at Stamford Bridge. The FA made clear that they blamed Tuchel for the confrontation – and therefore gave him a more severe punishment.
“It was quite clearly TT who instigated the confrontation between himself and AC by choosing to grip AC’s hand and jolt him back after AC had passed him by,” the FA commission’s report read. Tuchel has appealed the touchline ban and said on Friday that he is still waiting to hear whether he can manage from the sidelines as normal for Chelsea’s match against Leicester on Saturday.
The Chelsea boss also hit out at the FA for what he feels is an unjust punishment. “My understanding was that we both had our impact in this situation and both got sent off,” he said in his pre-match press conference. “I can understand that I get a ban, I get a fine. What I don’t understand is that the other coach does not get the same punishment. Is hard to understand for me.”
The FA’s report stated that “AC was unwillingly pulled, literally, into the confrontation” and “did not consider him to have hugely overreacted”. Conte will therefore be free to manage as normal during Tottenham’s trip to Nottingham Forest on Sunday afternoon. If his appeal is unsuccessful, Tuchel will be allowed in the changing rooms, but not on the touchline.
“I think there are two sides to it,” he added. “The one side is that I got the red card and behaved in a way which is not appropriate and which I regret, but it was out of passion. It was not too aggressive, it was out of passion. I can accept if I get a red card during the match – if this is the decision – I have a touchline ban and am fined. This is one side to it, I don’t dispute it and accept it.
"What’s hard to accept is the context. I don’t think I started the aggression, it started earlier. I don’t think I was the only person involved; we both got a red card. A player pulled another player by its hair two minutes earlier. He can play on, he is not banned. For a firm handshake at the end of the match, one coach is banned. This is very hard to accept but I have accept it. Putting it into context, I cannot understand."
Asked if he believed Cristian Romero started the whole thing by pulling Marc Cucurella’s hair during a Tottenham corner, Tuchel replied: ”I don’t say further, you have my opinion on that. In the future, there is no comment from me. I will not comment anymore on any referee’s decisions. No matter how big it is, this is obviously what we want and what you get.”
