The independent regulatory commission have released their written reasons for handing Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel a ban but not Tottenham head coach Antonio Conte following the derby between the two sides as well as both men's letters to the FA.
Both head coaches were handed yellow cards earlier in the game but then received straight red cards after the final whistle following a clash when Conte attempted to shake Tuchel's hand and the Blues boss did not let go, sparking a coming together of players and staff. Now the FA, who charged both men with misconduct, have revealed the reasons behind the sanctions dished out by the commission.
The referee Anthony Taylor's submitted report on the red card said: "I have to report that I, as the referee sent off Thomas Tuchel and Antonio Conte of Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur under Law 12: Physical or aggressive behaviour. At the final whistle the two managers, Mr Tuchel and Mr Conte shook hands at the side of the pitch which appeared to result in prolonged physical contact between them. As a result an aggressive confrontation ensued which caused a further mass confrontation involving the technical areas and players. Having showed Mr Tuchel and Mr Conte the red card I advised him to leave the field of play."
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On the Wednesday after the game, Conte admitted the charge and Tuchel did the same with both content for the matter to be dealt with by way of a paper hearing. Both men sent letters for the hearing supported by letters from the clubs.
In Conte's letter, he wrote: "I would first like to apologise to the Commission for the events that happened after the game against Chelsea on Sunday which is not something I like being associated with, or seeing on a football field. For this reason I have therefore admitted the charge of improper conduct.
"The referee blew the final whistle, I wanted to congratulate my players and acknowledge the away fans, as well as the home fans who I still hold with great affection after my time managing the club…so not to create any further unease between us I wanted to quickly shake hands and move on.
"I extended my hand towards him with the intention of briefly shaking his, however he grabbed my hand and did not release his grip. Due to his very firm grip my arm jarred causing me to be pulled backwards. I was both surprised and unhappy that such handshake caused me to be pulled back with such physical force. I did not over-react to this provocation and with the circumstances was proud of how I handled myself. Had I made any reaction then I understand the situation would have been much worse."
Tuchel's letter stated: "At the end of the match I approached Mr Conte to shake his hand as an act of sportsmanship. Mr Conte took my hand but did not look at me and I considered his demeanour to be a sign of disrespect towards me. I therefore held on to his hand as he walked past me and told him to look me in the eyes when he shakes my hand.
"Mr Conte replied in Italian and acted very aggressively towards me. I did not react to his aggression and did not say anything insulting to him. I acknowledge that I could and should have dealt with Mr Conte’s conduct towards me in a more appropriate manner (for example, by speaking to him privately afterwards). I apologise to The FA and to the Regulatory Commission, for having to bring and consider the charge."
The release reasons show that the commission decided "it was quite clearly Tuchel who instigated the confrontation between himself and Conte by choosing to grip the latter's hand and jolt him back after he had passed him by".
The report continued: " Had he not gripped Conte's hand the confrontation between the two and the subsequent melee that followed would not have occurred. Tuchel gripping Conte's hand for the reason he gave was simply not justifiable. Cursory handshakes are a common occurrence at the end of highly-charged football matches and there exists no obligation for one person to look the other in the eye whilst shaking hands.
"Tuchel telling Conte to look him in the eyes whilst gripping his hand and not allowing Conte to move away was a highly provocative act. Conte was unwillingly pulled, literally, into the confrontation with Tuchel. Conte did react aggressively to those actions but the commission did not consider him to have hugely over-reacted given the circumstances.
"Conte did remain irate after he had extricated himself from Tuchel’s grip and others had separated the two. Conte appears to enter into a brief but heated verbal exchange with the Chelsea player, Cesar Azpilicueta, before leaving the pitch. The confrontation between Tuchel and Conte caused a mass gathering of staff, players and stewards that could easily have escalated the situation."
Later the report added: "Whilst certain aspects of Conte's behaviour could be considered as being improper, indeed he admitted as much, the commission considered Tuchel to be largely culpable for the incident and unanimously felt that this ought to be clearly and definitively reflected in the level of sanction imposed on them.
"Both made written apologies and admitted the charges. Conte had one admitted charge on his previous five year disciplinary record but this was nearly five years ago, back in November 2017."
The committee decided to fine Conte £15,000 and Tuchel £35,000 along with a one game touchline ban.
The report concluded: "The commission felt that the above sanctions reflected the seriousness of the behaviour of both Thomas Tuchel and Antonio Conte during the incident but also reflected that the former was significantly more culpable than the latter in respect to causation."
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