Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel has been accused of being the reason for his altercation with Tottenham Hotspur boss Antonio Conte, whose behavior was seen as too provocative.
Both men admitted to misconduct in the technical area during their handshake after the end of the match, which saw the two teams tied 2-2 at Stamford Bridge on August 14.
Tuchel, who was fined £35,000 and banned for one match, said he grabbed Conte’s hand because he felt the latter was disrespecting him by not looking at him, and it developed into a scuffle between players from both teams.
In its interpretation of the sanctions imposed, an independent committee of the English Football Association stated that the German coach’s behavior was not justified.
The committee added: It was clear that Thomas Tuchel was the one who caused a confrontation between him and Antonio Conte, after he chose to grab the coach’s hand and return it again after Conte passed him. Had Thomas not done so, the confrontation between them and the battle that followed would not have occurred.