Tuchel and Conte charged after Battle of the Bridge
LONDON (AFP) - Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel and Tottenham Hotspur boss Antonio Conte have been charged with improper conduct after their explosive clashes in Sunday's (Aug 14) stormy 2-2 draw.
The pair were embroiled in two angry exchanges as tempers flared in the Premier League showdown at Stamford Bridge.
Both managers were booked for the first bust-up, which was sparked by Conte celebrating Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg's equaliser close to Tuchel's technical area.
They clashed again after angrily shaking hands at the full-time whistle, which resulted in red cards for the duo and sparked further ugly scenes involving players and coaching staff from the London rivals.
"Thomas Tuchel and Antonio Conte have both been charged with a breach of FA Rule E3, following the Premier League fixture between Chelsea FC and Tottenham Hotspur FC on Sunday Aug 14, 2022," an English Football Association statement said on Monday.
"It is alleged that the behaviour of both managers was improper following the end of the fixture. Thomas Tuchel and Antonio Conte have until Thursday Aug 18, 2022 to provide their respective responses."
Tuchel could also face further charges from the FA, who are probing his post-match comments about referee Anthony Taylor.
The German said "maybe it would be better" for Taylor not to referee Chelsea again, after he expressed fury over both Spurs goals. He felt Hojbjerg's effort should have been disallowed for offside against Richarlison, as well as for a foul on Kai Havertz several seconds earlier.
Tuchel also insisted Cristian Romero should have been punished for pulling Marc Cucurella's hair, with a video assistant referee (VAR) check ruling out a red card for an incident that came just before Harry Kane's stoppage-time equaliser.
Both managers could face a ban as a result of their antics, with Tuchel already conceding he might be absent from the touchline when Chelsea face Leeds United on Sunday.
A similar one-match ban for Conte would also see the Italian miss the visit of Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday.
Sunday's London derby, featuring a series of aggressive tackles from players on both teams, has since been dubbed "The Battle of the Bridge Part 2" - in reference to an equally feisty encounter between the teams in 2016.
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