Tottenham and Brighton each fined £100,000 following touchline brawl

Tottenham and Brighton each fined £100,000 following recent touchline brawl that involved both benches and culminated in Cristian Stellini and Roberto De Zerbi being sent to the stands

• Two sides were involved in an ill-tempered affair at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
• Touchline confrontation culminated in both managers being sent to the stands
• Brighton felt aggrieved throughout game at a number of refereeing decisions

Tottenham and Brighton have been fined £100,000 each following the touchline brawl between the two benches in the recent Premier League game.

An ill-tempered match, that saw interim Spurs boss Cristian Stellini and Brighton head coach Roberto De Zerbi clash before kick-off, flared up in the second half with a mass confrontation between staff from both dugouts.

That led to Stellini, who appeared an innocent bystander, and De Zerbi being sent to the stands and both clubs have now been fined by the Football Association.

An FA statement read: ‘Tottenham Hotspur and Brighton and Hove Albion have been fined £100,000 each for a mass confrontation that occurred during their Premier League match on Saturday 8 April.

‘Both clubs admitted they failed to ensure their benches conducted themselves in an orderly fashion and did not behave in a way which is proper during the 58th minute.

Tottenham and Brighton have both been fined £100,000 by the FA after ill-tempered match

The ill-tempered affair appeared to have begun to boil over before the players were on the pitch

‘An independent regulatory commission imposed their fines following a subsequent hearing.’

Tottenham’s 2-1 win was shrouded in controversy as Brighton had two goals disallowed and two strong penalty appeals waved away, with the PGMOL chief Howard Webb having to apologise for errors after the game.

Speaking after the game, De Zerbi praised his players for their performance, before criticising Tottenham for allegedly trying to influence the referee.

‘We are very disappointed, very frustrated with the result. We have to be proud of this performance,’ he said.

“We are not to forget we are Brighton. We deserved to win the game. We improved because we show our quality and our style of play.

‘I don’t want to put more pressure on the referees. I don’t like to discuss them.

‘There were a lot of situations very clear. You can take your opinion about this. My work is to give my players a clear idea of play.’

However, Stelllini, seemingly intent on drawing a line under the incident, admitted recently that the FA had been right to charge the two clubs.

Brighton felt aggrieved that a number of key referee decisions went against them at Tottenham

‘Maybe for the atmosphere we created it is good the (FA) decision,’ he said. ‘We have to be better but personally I am happy we showed we are a team, we are linked, we are close and we defend ourselves and our club.

‘At the same time I am happy because I feel I was not involved in anything, so it is a good decision I stay on the touchline tomorrow.’

He added that he had ‘nothing’ to say to his opposite number, De Zerbi, insisting that what happened, happened and would remain on the ‘pitch’.

‘No,’ he said. ‘This type of things stay on the pitch, you forget this type of situation immediately after the game. There’s nothing to say. Everything is fine for me.’ 

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