FA charge Antonio Conte, Thomas Tuchel after fiery Spurs vs. Chelsea game

England's Football Association has charged Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte and Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel with improper behavior after the two coaches were shown red cards after the final whistle of their teams' 2-2 draw on Sunday.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte, right, and Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel clash at the end of a Premier League match at Stamford Bridge in London on August 14. [AFP/YONHAP]

England's Football Association has charged Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte and Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel with improper behavior after the two coaches were shown red cards after the final whistle of their teams' 2-2 draw on Sunday.

Conte and Tuchel had to be separated multiple times as tempers flared during the match, with a final altercation after the whistle when Tuchel refused to let go of Conte's hand, apparently because he was offended the Italian manager had not looked him in the eye.

Referee Anthony Taylor showed both managers a red card after the game, meaning they could face potential match suspensions. The additional Football Association charge, under rule E3 that governs on-pitch behavior, could lead to fines and further match bans.

"Thomas Tuchel and Antonio Conte have both been charged with a breach of FA Rule E3, following the Premier League fixture between Chelsea and Tottenham on Sunday, August 14, 2022," the Football Association statement reads. "It is alleged that the behaviour of both managers was improper following the end of the fixture. Both managers have until Thursday, 18 August, 2022 to provide their respective responses."

Tuchel could face further punishment, as he took a shot at Taylor in a post-match interview, criticizing a number of calls and saying that the whole dressing room had a problem with him. The comments could land Tuchel in more trouble, as Everton manager Frank Lampard was fined £30,000 for criticizing a referee in May this year.

Despite the conflict and the potential match bans, Conte's touchline behavior on Sunday may not be entirely bad news for Spurs.

Over the 10 months the Italian manager has spent with the club, Spurs have gone from an often painful passivity that saw them drop three games to Chelsea in January without a single goal to a fiery competitive side unafraid of testing the referee's limits.

Some of that change has to come from Conte's leadership, and the confrontational flair was certainly clear to see on Sunday as both managers lauded their goals in front of each other with increasingly loud celebrations.

If that passion can be successfully harnessed on the pitch, it's likely to lead to bigger and better things for Spurs this year.

BY JIM BULLEY [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]