Often when the stakes are high in a football match, managers can become overwhelmed by the heat of the moment and clash with one another.
Just this weekend, Emma Hayes and Jonas Eidevall collided after Arsenal beat Chelsea 1-0 in the Continental Cup Final, with Hayes giving her counterpart a shove after the final whistle.
Chelsea boss Hayes said that Eidevall displayed “male aggression” during an altercation with one of her players, Erin Cuthbert. The Arsenal manager later claimed that a disagreement over using a multi-ball or single-ball system had been the root cause, but Hayes was furious with the reaction he showed towards her player and let her feelings be known.
It is certainly not the first time two high-profile coaches have clashed with one another, so we decided to look at some other famous bust-ups between managers over the years.
Antonio Conte vs Thomas Tuchel
Conte and Tuchel confronted each other back in 2022 following a pulsating 2-2 draw between Chelsea and Tottenham at Stamford Bridge.
After Harry Kane had salvaged a point for Spurs with a 96th-minute equaliser, both managers went for a routine handshake at the final whistle. Tuchel was particularly forceful and would not let go, sparking a reaction from Conte who shouted and squared up to the Chelsea boss.
“There’s nothing to regret. We did not fist fight, we just had a little longer handshake and before that, we had some arguments,” Tuchel said after the game.
Conte on the other hand refused to comment on the incident, saying in his post-match interview: “I don’t want to talk about the situation. If there is a problem, it’s between me and Thomas.”
Jose Mourinho vs Arsene Wenger
You could make an entire series on the incidents between both these Premier League greats, but the standout incident came in 2014.
Before all of that, the pair traded criticism with one another over the years. In 2006, Mourinho labelled Wenger as a “voyeur” for his comments about Chelsea.
“I think he is one of these people who is a voyeur,” he said. “He likes to watch other people. There are some guys who, when they are at home, they have a big telescope to see what happens in other families. He speaks and speaks and speaks about Chelsea.
Two years later, Wenger hit back and referred to Mourinho as “out of order, disconnected with reality, and disrespectful”.
In 2014, the tension boiled over after Chelsea had beaten Arsenal 2-0 at Stamford Bridge. Wenger entered the Chelsea technical area and shoved Mourinho after the pair got involved in a shouting match. The two managers, unsurprisingly, did not shake hands after the game.
Arsene Wenger vs Alan Pardew
Wenger’s shove on Mourinho was not the first time he approached an opposition manager. The Frenchman also lost his composure back in 2006 when he took his Arsenal side to Upton Park to face Alan Pardew’s West Ham.
After Alexander Hleb was denied a penalty late on, which incensed Wenger, Arsenal’s misery was compounded when Marlon Harewood’s late winner snatched all three points for West Ham.
Chaos ensued as Wenger berated Pardew before pushing him. Robin Van Persie was also struck in the head with a coin by one of the home fans. Wenger refused a handshake with Pardew and decided not to perform his post-match media duties.
Mourinho vs Vilanova
In 2011, Barcelona hosted Real Madrid in an El Clásico to remember as Lionel Messi’s 88th minute winner earned Barca the Super Cup.
But the game is more remembered for the ugly scenes which ensued during the game. Marcelo’s scissor-tackle on Barcelona’s Cesc Fábregas earned him a red card and sparked huge confrontation between the two sides.
Then Madrid head coach Mourinho strolled up to Vilanova, who at the time was only Pep Guardiola’s assistant – and poked him in the eye during the confrontation. Mourinho was punished for his antics by the Spanish Football Federation with a two-match ban.
Wenger vs Jol
In 2004, Arsenal manager Wenger was furious that Tottenham did not kick the ball out play after Emmanuel Eboue and Gilberto Silva went down injured in the build-up to Robbie Keane’s goal.
What enraged Wenger even more was that Spurs boss Martin Jol said he did not see the incident, which led to a heated confrontation on the touchline as the pair squared up to one another, with the fourth official acting as peacemaker.
Arsenal ended up equalising late in the game and afterwards Jol hit back at Wenger, saying: “I don’t know what he is on about. I didn’t even see it, I was watching Edgar Davids.”
Moyes vs Mancini
Embed from Getty ImagesIn 2010, Manchester City were 2-0 down at home to Everton in the Premier League and heading for their first home defeat of the season. Tensions were running high on the touchline and it reached boiling point when Roberto Mancini barged into David Moyes in an attempt to get the ball back for a throw-in.
The pair then squared up to one another and Howard Webb, who was the fourth official on the day, had to intervene to separate the pair. Both managers were sent off and ended up shaking hands after being informed they would have to share an elevator that was going to bring them up to stands where they could watch the remainder of the game.
Mancini further defused the situation after the game, saying: “I only wanted to get the ball because we had another five minutes at the end. I was frustrated. The referee sent me off but I don’t think there is anything more in it. It’s nothing, finished.”
