Derby flare-ups not good for the game – Hiddink

Chelsea boss Guus Hiddink concedes the flare-ups that marred Monday’s derby clash with Tottenham were “not good for the game”.

There were 12 bookings – nine for Spurs – as Hiddink’s men came back from two goals down to draw 2-2, a result that ended their London rivals’ Premier League title bid.

Another fracas broke out at the final whistle with the 69-year-old pushed over before reports also emerged of Cesc Fabregas confronting the Spurs players in the tunnel.

The Football Association charged both clubs with three breaches of failing to control their players with Chelsea and Spurs having until Monday to respond.

Interim boss Hiddink, speaking ahead of Saturday’s trip to relegation-threatened Sunderland, told a news conference: “The FA are still investigating. It’s their judgement, I don’t have any comments on that.

“It was a hot game, there is always this rivalry but there were too many chest-to-chest situations. It was not good for the game.”

On the post-match incidents, he insisted Fabregas did not have a major role, adding: “I worked in the Latin world and there’s a lot of pushing there. For me, the pushing was a minor thing and I lost my balance.

“Their bench and Cesc were talking to each other loudly in Spanish so I took him away and the shoving started.

“From there he went into the tunnel without any arguing. There was another incident where a physio tried to protect me but Cesc was not involved.”