Tottenham manager Antonio Conte made headlines when his spat with Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel went viral – and Richarlison said the players haven't even had a laugh with him about it since
(Image credit: Robin Jones/Getty Images)
Tottenham forward Richarlison has been speaking to FourFourTwo exclusively about the heated moment on the touchline when Antonio Conte and Thomas Tuchel squared up to one another.
Spurs were playing Chelsea when the two managers clashed. In the aftermath of the controversial 2-2 draw, Conte and the now-departed Tuchel shook hands, only for the feud to continue with both bosses having to be separated by staff and players.
But despite how much fans and pundits alike enjoyed the passion and intensity shown from either coach, new signing Richarlison says that the Lilywhites players haven't dared to crack a joke about the incident with the formidable Italian.
"That was fun, wasn’t it?" the Brazilian laughed, when reminded of the fracas. "At the time we were still involved with the game, so we watched what happened between them on video in the dressing room.
"It’s pretty normal in football – things happen between players all the time, so it can happen to the coaches as well. Everyone calms down and moves on. But it was amusing to see that confrontation between the two bosses. Ours isn’t afraid of confrontations, is he?"
Despite how funny Richarlison found the moment, he's not made a joke of it with his new manager just yet.
Richarlison has started his Tottenham career well (Image credit: Future)
"Are you insane? No chance, come on!" he said when asked if he'd laugh about it with Conte. "Would you try any jokes? I did not.
Get FourFourTwo Newsletter
The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.
"But these things are positive for football. The supporters love it. It’s a privilege to experience such big games, like Tottenham vs Chelsea, Brazil vs Argentina and Everton vs Liverpool."
Mark White has been at on FourFourTwo since joining in January 2020, first as a staff writer before becoming content editor in 2023. An encyclopedia of football shirts and boots knowledge – both past and present – Mark has also represented FFT at both FA Cup and League Cup finals (though didn't receive a winners' medal on either occasion) and has written pieces for the mag ranging on subjects from Bobby Robson's season at Barcelona to Robinho's career. He has written cover features for the mag on Mikel Arteta and Martin Odegaard, and is assisted by his cat, Rosie, who has interned for the brand since lockdown.
