The tension between Antonio Conte and Thomas Tuchel simmered all match until it finally bubbled over after full time. It was somewhat predictable that the two headstrong coaches would clash at one point or another of Sunday’s fixture at Stamford Bridge. Conte and Tuchel are two of the strongest personalities in the Premier League, and their teams are a reflection of this.
Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur shared the points in a 2-2 draw, but Conte and Tuchel shared nothing more than animosity. It was a touchline tussle that evoked memories of managerial clashes of years gone by. Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger never got on while Rafael Benitez and Jose Mourinho duelled more than once. Mourinho and Wenger didn’t care for each other either.
Conte and Tuchel’s personal rivalry could give the Premier League an edge it has lacked for a long time. Liverpool and Manchester City have dominated this era of English football, but the hostility demonstrated on the pitch has rarely extended to the touchline. Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp have a lot of respect for each other, and frequently talk about it.
While City and Liverpool are expected to once again lead the Premier League title race this season, Chelsea and Spurs harbour ambitions of bridging the gap. Both teams have spent significantly in the summer transfer window and are fighting for the same position in the table, not just territory as historic London rivals.
This added to the tension of Sunday’s match, particularly with the fixture coming so early in the season. Nobody is really sure how Chelsea and Tottenham will fare this season, although they certainly have the individual talent on the pitch and the leadership in the dugout to be competitive near the top of the Premier League table. The outcome of the match at Stamford Bridge mattered.
February’s rematch between Chelsea and Tottenham has already been circled on the schedule by those eager to see Conte and Tuchel lock horns again. By then, though, the tension might not be so high if one, or both, of the two teams have fallen away in the title race. On the flip side, there could be even more friction if Chelsea and Spurs are still in contention.
English football is better for the intensity of Conte and Tuchel. The Premier League has never before been home to so much coaching talent at once with Chelsea and Spurs currently boasting two of the best managers in the European game at this moment in time. Competition fuels rivalry and there is certainly a lot of competition at the top of the Premier League.
“Yes and I think he enjoyed it as well,” Tuchel replied when asked if he’d relished Sunday’s clash with Conte. “It was nothing bad. I don’t have any bad feeling and I’m sure he will not have. We fought for our teams and it happens. Both of us were fighting for our teams. That was it, nobody got insulted, nobody got hurt, we didn’t have a fist fight or something.”
In crude terms, Sunday’s clash between Conte and Tuchel was relatively tame. It could be argued, with strong justification, that Cristian Romero’s pull on Marc Cucurella’s hair was more violent than anything witnessed on the touchline all match. Conte and Tuchel’s duel was little more than some shouting and a lingering handshake.
However, the managerial duel reflected more than just the animosity between two men. The rivalry between Conte and Tuchel, and their rival teams, could be something we see again in the Premier League. English football’s top flight has a defining club rivalry between City and Liverpool. Now, it could have a defining managerial rivalry too.
