Ex-Fifa official: FA should make example of Antonio Conte after ‘surprising’ Tottenham development

Keith Hackett is “surprised” by the Football Association’s decision not to hand Tottenham manager Antonio Conte an immediate touchline ban for his behaviour at Chelsea.

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the ex-Fifa and Premier League official said such a punishment would have “set the right tone for the season ahead.”

Conte was sent off following an altercation with Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel at Stamford Bridge on 14 August.

The FA punished Conte with a £15,000 penalty following the touchline bust-up.

However, he was not handed a touchline ban.

His counterpart Tuchel was handed a £35,000 fine and a temporarily suspended one-game touchline ban.

When asked by Football Insider if Conte should have been allowed in the dugout against Wolves on Saturday, Hackett said: “I think they will go on the record of the individual.

“Has this manager committed an offence before?

“There is a set process. There will be a written warning and then normally a visit from the FA. I have been in a position where I have done that. I have been to seen managers and told them to calm down otherwise we are going to get tough and enforce the laws.

“Given what happened, I was surprised that neither Conte nor Tuchel faced a touchline ban.

“For me, I believe they should have been banned. It should have been brought in immediately to set the right tone for the season ahead.”

In other news, a finance guru expects Tottenham to ‘convert’ a new wave of supporters as a three-year deal struck.