Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel: 'I can now laugh at Antonio Conte handshake'

By Darren Plant, Senior Reporter | 19 August 2022

Tuchel: 'I can now laugh at Conte handshake'

Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel says that he can now take a more light-hearted view towards his heated handshake with Tottenham Hotspur counterpart Antonio Conte last weekend.

Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel has revealed that he has been able to 'laugh at himself' in light of his confrontation with Tottenham Hotspur counterpart Antonio Conte.

After Spurs netted a last-gasp equaliser at Stamford Bridge, Tuchel and Conte shook hands at the final whistle, only for the former to hold onto the Italian's hand to criticise him for not making eye contact.

Numerous people from both clubs attempt to break up the heated exchange which eventually resulted in red cards being handed to each boss.

The pair have subsequently been charged by the Football Association and are expected to be prevented from sitting in the dugout this weekend.

When quizzed on the matter at a press conference on Friday, Tuchel said that he was able to see humour in the incident once he had returned to the dressing room.

Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel on August 6, 2022 © Reuters

Tuchel told reporters: "Of course we laugh. It's very important to laugh at ourselves. I was laughing in the dressing room because it was the heat of the match and, for me, it was not that bad. It was a handshake. It was a too heavy handshake, I admit, but no harm was done.

"At least from my side. He spoke Italian to me, I never know if we insulted each other. I think the thing would have been very, very quickly ended if there were not 20 people around us that made the thing look much worse than it actually was.

"You're right. If you have a reaction like this, you have to live with the reaction towards it. Of course, I laughed at myself."

The incident could have been prevented had VAR intervened to advise a red card for Cristian Romero for pulling the hair of Marc Cucurella.

Marc Cucurella in action for Chelsea on August 6, 2022 © Reuters

Mike Dean has since admitted that he made a mistake when making a judgment call on the incident, but Tuchel says that he remains bewildered by how the situation was handled at the time.

The German said: "Hopefully, I'm not too honest, but if the mistake is that big and that obvious, what is the point of not admitting it? The whole world sees it.

"I struggle a little bit to be fully impressed by the statement. It is so clear and obvious that I still cannot understand how a referee cannot make a decision that was the right decision."

Chelsea make the trip to face Leeds United on Sunday with Tuchel revealing that three players have already been ruled out of the game at Elland Road.