Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel clashed with Tottenham manager Antonio Conte following the latter’s persistent yelling at the Blues bench during Sunday’s tense tie. According to BILD, the final whistle brawl was sparked by Conte continuously yelling ‘fuck off’ at Chelsea’s dugout during the game, which could have been the underlying reason for the first disagreement between the two managers following Tottenham’s early equalizer. Conte and Tuchel first clashed when the Chelsea manager took issue with referee Anthony Taylor’s decision to allow Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s 68th-minute equalizer after believing Kai Havertz had been fouled in the build-up.
The German objected to the fourth official, but Conte reacted, and the two men were separated before receiving yellow cards. Tuchel dashed past Conte in excitement when Reece James restored Chelsea’s lead, before the worst brawl of all occurred as the managers shook hands at full time. Tuchel was upset by Conte’s refusal to face him in the eyes, while Conte was hesitant to speak about the occurrences following the game.
Later that evening, the Spurs manager said on social media that he would have tripped Tuchel if he had seen him sprinting by him following James’ goal. Tuchel, on the other hand, is said to have been enraged by Conte’s behavior throughout the game, with frequent swearing directed at the home dugout. Conte is also said to have confronted Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic in the tunnel after the game. Both managers have subsequently been accused with unethical conduct, and Tuchel is being investigated for criticizing referee Taylor’s integrity.