Thomas Tuchel came close to breaching his touchline ban following Chelsea's 2-1 win over Leicester City at Stamford Bridge. He was charged with breaking the FA's Rule E3 after an altercation with Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte in their recent 2-2 draw.
The Blues boss appealed the decision ahead of the west Londoners' clash with Brendan Rodgers' side, though he was unsuccessful. Despite being banned from appearing in the dugout, Tuchel was present to cheer his squad on from the stands.
And, as a 10-man Chelsea clambered towards three points, the German stepped out to congratulate his players upon the final whistle. But, according to journalist Rahman Osman, the Blues' media team quickly reminded Tuchel that he was not allowed on the pitch, potentially saving him from further penalties.
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As well as a touchline ban for the clash versus Leicester, Tuchel was also fined £35,000 by the FA. The FA statement read: "Thomas Tuchel will be banned from the touchline for Chelsea FC’s Premier League match against Leicester City FC on Saturday 27 August 2022. The manager admitted that his behaviour after the final whistle of the Premier League game against Tottenham Hotspur FC on Sunday 14 August 2022 was improper.
"An independent Regulatory Commission subsequently ordered for him to be fined £35,000 and suspended from the touchline for one fixture during a hearing. Thomas Tuchel appealed against these sanctions, but this has been dismissed by an Appeal Board today."
Speaking to football.london ahead of Chelsea's clash with the Foxes, Tuchel responded to the ruling which saw him miss the Blues' win over Leicester. He said: "I think there are two sides to it. 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."
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