For the 2023/24 season, a new directive has been installed to crack down on football managers who overstep their boundaries. Football coaches will now be under closer scrutiny and are more likely to be punished with a yellow card for approaching referees or demanding that opposing players get a yellow card.
The Premier League is a high-pressure world for managers as job security is low. This has led to major management crises. With TV cameras watching it all, millions of punters attracted by the generous football bonuses offered by UK bookmakers are enjoying the rush, so these are the times when the red mist descends and everyone can see.
Here we show the five most infamous managerial crises in the Premier League.
Conte-Tuchel
There was a clash between then-Chelsea manager Tomas Tuchel and former Blues boss Antonio Conte in 2022. After a 2-2 draw in the EPL, the two managers crossed paths for a handshake, but Tuchel did not let go of Conte’s hand. and caused the flash point. It was all down to the fact that Tuchel had felt disrespected because Conte had not looked at him. Players and staff huddled together and both bosses admitted inappropriate conduct.
Benítez rants against Ferguson
Former Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez gave a memorable press conference in 2009, citing many “facts”. Benitez’s Liverpool had been in a duel with Manchester United in the race for the Premier League title, which the Reds ultimately lost. But Benítez had been upset by Ferguson’s complaints about the match schedule.
The Spaniard retaliated and continued to refer to how refereeing decisions would always favor Manchester United and pointed out Ferguson’s behavior towards the referees. It was a juicy five-minute rant.
Klopp loses it
The Liverpool manager has had his fair share of rants. But the most important one was during his team’s 1-0 FA Cup victory over Manchester City in 2022. The Reds manager lost his cool.
He chased the referee’s assistant down the sideline and then back again while shouting in the hapless referee’s face. It is echoed when, in charge of Borussia Dortmund, Klopp shouted in the face of a referee for which he received a red card.
Keegan “loves it”
Former Newcastle manager Kevin Keegan was interviewed in the closing stages of the 1996 season when the title was still up for grabs. Keegan’s magpies fought with Manchester United
for the honors. United manager Ferguson had been playing mind games on him in the build-up. Then, after a league win that kept the Magpies in touch for the title, Keegan lost his cool and in an impassioned outburst told the television crew: “I would love it” if he beat Sir Alex Ferguson for the title.
Conte rages against the players
During his time as Tottenham coach, Antonio Conte gave one of the strangest press conferences in history. The Italian laid bare his feelings by attacking his Spurs players for being selfish after blowing a 3-1 lead in the draw against Southampton.
Conte also attacked the club for not being fit to play for anything important and not wanting to play under pressure, and criticized his employers for not having won anything in 20 years under owner Daniel Levy.
Mr Alex Ferguson
It is more of an honorable mention from the king of Premier League football managers, Sir Alex Ferguson. The legendary Manchester United manager didn’t shy away from letting people know what he felt.
There is no one event that puts him on this list as he had many, such as making goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak cry after suffering a 4-0 defeat against West Ham in the League Cup.
There was the flying boot that cut David Beckham’s eye; referee Alan Wiley being declared “unfit” to referee a Premier League match; a five-match ban he received for a comment made
about referee Martin Atkinson and the hairdryer treatment he gave Louis Saha after a Championship match, to name just a few.
