Thomas Tuchel has questioned why Antonio Conte received a smaller punishment than him after the pair’s bust-up when Chelsea drew 2-2 with Tottenham at Stamford Bridge earlier this month.
Both managers were sent off by referee Anthony Taylor after the final whistle following the second of two heated confrontations which began in the aftermath of Spurs’ two goals.
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The second goal, a 96th-minute equaliser, occurred moments after Tottenham’s Cristian Romero escaped censure for pulling Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella‘s hair as the pair jostled at a corner.
On Friday afternoon, Tuchel was awaiting to hear the outcome of an appeal following the Football Association’s written reasons for handing the Chelsea boss a £35,000 fine and a one-match touchline ban while Conte was only given a £15,000 fine.
Focusing on the final incident at full-time, the FA’s independent regulatory commission stated in its report that Tuchel “quite clearly instigated the confrontation” with Conte through a forceful handshake in which the 48-year-old chose “to grip [Conte’s] hand and jolt him back after [Conte] had passed him by.”
“Had TT not gripped AC’s hand the confrontation between the two and the subsequent melee that followed would not have occurred,” the report added.
Tuchel expects to be in the stands for Saturday’s Premier League visit with Leicester City but he still argued his case in relation to Conte’s more modest treatment.
