Cristian Romero causes controversy after ditching Tottenham relegation decider for Argentina title clash
The Tottenham captain will attend boyhood club Belgrano take on River Plate instead of supporting his teammates in a crunch match against Everton
Cristian Romero is facing backlash from Tottenham Hotspur supporters after the club captain decided to return to his native Argentina for the weekend in which his side’s Premier League status is on the line.
The Argentine was ruled out of action for the rest of the season after suffering an injury in the 1-0 defeat to Sunderland on April 12, but has frequently been seen supporting his side in their relegation battle from the stands.
Spurs host Everton on Sunday, needing a draw to secure their top-flight status, a result that will not be straightforward given that they have the second worst home record in the Premier League this season.
However, rather than be around the squad and in attendance at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Romero has decided to return to Argentina to watch his boyhood club Belgrano compete against River Plate in the Argentine Primera Division final.
The game takes place in Romero’s native Córdoba, at Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes, with Belgrano looking to win their first ever top-tier Argentine title.
Romero came up through the ranks at Belgrano, making his first team debut in 2016. Two years later, he secured a move to Serie A with Genoa, before signing for Juventus. Spurs signed Romero from Atalanta in 2021 and has gone on to make over 100 appearances for the club.
At Spurs, Romero has established himself as one of the best centre-backs in the world, playing a key role in Argentina’s World Cup glory in 2021, and captaining Tottenham to the Europa League title last season with a Man of the Match performance in the final against Manchester United.
Last summer, after the departure of Son Heung-min, Romero was named Tottenham captain and signed a new deal that expires in 2029.
However, Romero has faced criticism this season due to the team’s poor performances and for his lack of discipline that has seen him earn two red cards, six in total as a Spurs player.
Romero’s fallout with the Tottenham hierarchy and likely departure
With Romero’s absence confirmed, as Belgrano’s social media accounts posted a video showing the player at their training ground, everything points to a swift departure from Tottenham in the summer.
This has long been expected, with Romero frequently voicing criticism about some of the hierarchy’s decisions. Most recently, in February, following very little transfer activity amid an injury crisis and the sale of last season’s top scorer Brennan Johnson, Romero labelled the fact that Spurs only had 11 available players for the clash against Manchester City as “disgraceful”.
And while most Tottenham fans have backed Romero in his attacks against the club’s leadership, his decision to snub the team’s most important game in recent Premier League history has caused serious backlash from supporters.
