Mueez Ajao
– Tottenham forward Richarlison admits he’d be ‘insane’ to joke about Antonio Conte’s confrontation with former Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel earlier this season.
– Tuchel and Conte were both sent off after two physical clashes during Spurs dramatic 2-2 draw with the Blues at Stamford Bridge last month.
– At the final whistle, the two squared up following their post-match handshake, and were subsequently sent off by referee Anthony Taylor and were subsequently charged by the Football Association for their parts in the incident.
Also Read: Tuchel handed one-match ban while Conte avoids suspension
– The Brazilian international believes these types of incidents are ‘positive’ for football but there’s absolutely ‘no chance’ he was going to have banter with his boss about it.
– ‘That was fun, wasn’t it?’ the Brazilian laughed in an interview with Four Four Two magazine.
– ‘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?’
– ‘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.
– ‘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.’
– Richarlison has made an instant impact since arriving in north London for £60million from Everton earlier this summer.
– The 25-year-old has already notched twice in the Champions League and has made his way into Conte’s starting line-up after starting the first few matches on the bench.
– ‘It’s always a tough call when you have such strong connections with your club. And that was definitely the case for me,’ the forward said.
– ‘I was happy at Everton and I’m grateful for everything I learned there. It’s a big club with a lot of history.
– ‘However, perhaps they’re suffering with a lack of ambition nowadays. You know, that eagerness to win matches and trophies.
– ‘I spent four years there and I could see there was still a very long way to go to achieve big things.
– ‘I felt it was the right time to move on, and the club also had to make some money. It was a good deal for everyone involved. I’m delighted with this new challenge at Spurs.’
