London — Thomas Tuchel was fined £20,000 (approximately R397,000) and warned about his future conduct on Wednesday after suggesting referee Anthony Taylor should not be permitted to officiate Chelsea matches.
Tuchel accepted to a Football Association allegation of inappropriate conduct for his remarks about Taylor during Chelsea’s tumultuous 2-2 draw with Tottenham in August.
FA statement: “An independent regulatory commission has fined Chelsea’s Thomas Tuchel £20,000 and warned him about his future behavior for violating FA Rule E3.1 during a post-match news conference on Sunday, August 14, 2022.”
“The manager acknowledged that his statements following their Premier League match against Tottenham constituted improper conduct because they implied prejudice, questioned the referee’s impartiality, and brought shame to the game.”
Two crucial decisions by Taylor that went against Chelsea and led to Tottenham goals in the London derby infuriated Tuchel.
Taylor failed to award a free kick for a foul on Chelsea forward Kai Havertz in the buildup to Tottenham’s first equalize by Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, whose effort was allowed to stand despite Richarlison’s strong argument for offside.
Harry Kane scored an injury-time equalizer for the visitors after Tottenham defender Cristian Romero escaped punishment for yanking Chelsea’s Marc Cucurella to the ground by his hair after a VAR review.
Tuchel and Tottenham manager Antonio Conte were both dismissed following two touchline altercations after the final whistle, with the German receiving a one-game suspension.
Tuchel, when asked if Taylor should not referee the Blues again, stated: “Perhaps it would be improved, perhaps it would be improved.
“I don’t believe that only some of the supporters feel that way; I can promise you that everyone in the locker room feels the same way.
“And not just the fans. You are familiar with the players, and they are aware of the situation on the field. They are aware.”
Mike Dean, a VAR official, later said he should have requested Taylor to review the Romero-Cucurella incident.
AFP