EPL: Conte should have been banned as well – Chelsea coach, Tuchel

Chelsea coach, Thomas Tuchel believes his Tottenham Hotspur counterpart, Antonio Conte should have been banned for his part in the touchline clashes that saw him handed a one-game suspension.

Tuchel has appealed against the one-match ban, but he expects to be missing from the bench when Chelsea host Leicester City in a Premier League tie on Saturday.

The former Paris Saint-Germain manager was also hit with a £35,000 ($41,000) fine after twice rowing with Conte during their sides’ 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge earlier this month.

However, Conte was only fined £15,000 and avoided a ban.

“I think there are two sides to it, the one side is that I got a red card and I behaved in a way that isn’t appropriate and I regret it,” Tuchel told reporters on Friday during his pre-match press conference.

“But it was out of passion and I don’t think it was aggressive. But I can accept if I get a red card that there is a touchline ban.

“What is hard to accept is the context, that I don’t think I started the aggression, and that it started earlier. And we both got a red card.

“And for a firm handshake at the end of the match, one coach is banned, this is very hard to accept, but I have to accept it.

“In future, you’ll just hear a no comment from me from the referees. No matter how big it is, this is obviously what they want.”