Cristian Romero snubs Tottenham relegation decider as captain ‘would not give a f***’
Tottenham captain Cristian Romero will not be in attendance supporting his team-mates for Spurs’ crucial final game of the season against Everton as they battle relegation
Cristian Romero has angered Tottenham fans(Image: George Wood, Getty Images)
Cristian Romero has infuriated Tottenham supporters after it was reported he won’t be present for their relegation battle this weekend.
The Spurs skipper is sidelined through injury and has chosen to return to Argentina to support his former club this weekend, rather than back his team-mates against Everton. Romero picked up a knee problem in Tottenham’s 1-0 defeat at Sunderland last month which has kept him out of their remaining fixtures. His absence proved a major blow for manager Roberto De Zerbi, though they have collected eight points from the subsequent five matches to keep their survival hopes alive.
Spurs head into their final fixture against Everton at home controlling their own destiny, aware that three points will guarantee 17th place and condemn West Ham to relegation in 18th. The Hammers sit two points behind their London neighbours and welcome Leeds on Sunday.
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It promises to be a nerve-wracking and crucial Sunday for Tottenham, yet Romero will be nowhere to be seen in the stands. The club captain will instead be cheering on his former side Belgrano as they face River Plate for the Argentine championship this weekend. The Cordoba outfit shared footage on social media of Romero visiting their training facility on Friday.
That decision has sparked outrage on social media, with some supporters branding his choice as “disgraceful”. Numerous others have suggested this marks the end of his tenure at the club, irrespective of whether they face relegation or not.
One fan said: “The captain of Tottenham Hotspur choosing to personally miss the club’s biggest-ever league match in our recent modern history. Romero should never be allowed to put on a Spurs shirt ever again. Damning indictment of a culture which has been allowed to manifest inside our club.” Another said: “Outrageous. He can’t be bothered to support his team-mates.”
A third fan said: “I’ve defended Romero to the hills, several times. However, this is a disgrace from a “captain”. Performs when he wants. Never does interviews. Cries about the ownership a couple of times and we all love him. Massive game on Sunday and he doesn’t give a f***.”
Romero has been heavily linked with a transfer to Atletico Madrid this summer, despite having three years remaining on a contract extension he penned last year. The 28-year-old moved to Spurs in 2022 from Atalanta and has made 156 appearances for the club.
His significance to the squad was emphasised by De Zerbi when announcing his season-ending injury last month. “Romero, I’m very sorry for him, for his injury,” De Zerbi said. “First of all, Romero loves Tottenham, people have to know he’s suffering for this injury, suffering because he can’t play for us again this season. He’s a great captain for us.
“We have to be positive. We have Radu Dragusin and Kevin Danso, they are able to play, to play well, to give us the quality with the ball and to be strong in the defensive space so we can win. We want to win.”
In his absence, Danso has paired up with Micky van de Ven in central defence, but the pair were unable to prevent Chelsea from securing a 2-1 victory on Tuesday, setting up a final-day relegation showdown.
Both Spurs and West Ham are set to face teams with little at stake, with Everton currently occupying 12th place in the Premier League, while Leeds sit in 14th position.
