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Antonio Conte and Thomas Tuchel, the warring coaches from Sunday’s battle of Stamford Bridge, were the only two who did not attend the pre-season briefing laid on for the 20 Premier League managers by the referees’ organisation, it can be revealed.
Tuchel and Conte have both been charged with improper conduct after their sides’ 2-2 draw with the Football Association now investigating the Chelsea manager’s post-match remarks in which he suggested referee Anthony Taylor was biased against his club and should not officiate their games any longer. The two managers have until Thursday August 18 to provide their respective responses to the charges.
Taylor sent both men off after the final whistle after a clash that had begun with Tuchel holding onto Conte’s hand after they shook, having previously squared up during the game. The Premier League encourages all managers to attend one of the two briefings by the referee’s body – Professional Game Match officials (PGMOL) – so that they can be told of any law changes or parts of the law that referees will be focusing on in the forthcoming season, as well as ask questions.
In addition, Chelsea could also provide an early test case for how effective the new system of assessment, introduced this season as part of the Elite Referee Development Plan, is if the panel supports their opinions on Taylor’s performance, Telegraph Sport has learned.
Issues at the managers’ briefings included penalising players more heavily for time-wasting with an emphasis on keeping the ball in play longer than last season’s average – just 55 mins and seven seconds across all 380 Premier League games. Taylor booked Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy on Sunday for taking too much time releasing the ball.
There is frustration at the ferocity of criticism aimed at Taylor, and PGMOL as a whole, by Tuchel despite the German not attending the briefing or sending another representative in his place.
There are two identical briefings held, one for the northern based clubs and one in London for those in the south. Tuchel and Conte were notable by their absence and neither man sent an assistant. Both clubs have indicated that their respective managers were ill at the time of the briefing they had intended to attend. Conte sent a letter of apology to PGMOL.
Chelsea will wait for the report from a newly-formed independent panel of referee assessors before deciding whether or not to file a complaint over the performance of Taylor. Sources indicate that Taylor will not be taken off Chelsea games for good, as Tuchel suggested.
This season Premier League clubs are receiving weekly independent reports on the standard of officiating, which are put together by a panel of three former players, a Premier League representative and a PGMOL official. It is currently unclear whether or not the PGMOL would act as a direct result of the report, but Chelsea could use it to help submit a complaint or back-up their grievances about Taylor and his Var Mike Dean.
The panel sits on Thursday, which means Chelsea will not receive the report on their game against Tottenham until towards the end of the week. All clubs get the full report on the weekend’s games, meaning all managers and directors can see where errors have been highlighted.
The major organisations in the game, the Premier League, FA and EFL have also come together to promote better supporter behaviour at games after a number of incidents at the end of last season. A joint statement also released with the Football Supporters’ Association last month called upon fans to resist pitch invasions and using smoke grenades and emphasised the role of managers and players in promoting better behaviour.
It said: “We are working with clubs to highlight the important role that fans, clubs, players and coaches all have to play in helping to create a safe environment.”
Antonio Conte and Thomas Tuchel the only managers to miss referees briefing (msn.com)