Thomas Frank has said that Tottenham Hotspur captain Cristian Romero apologised to his teammates after being sent off in the team's 2-0 defeat to Manchester United on Saturday.
The Argentine, who made headlines with an Instagram post for the second time in 2026 on Monday when he described the injury-hit Spurs team being left with only 11 available as "disgraceful" shortly after the transfer window closed.
Romero will miss Spurs' next four games due to the fact Saturday's red card was the second he has been shown this season. He will miss the north London derby on Feb. 22.
Goals from Bryan Mbeumo and Bruno Fernandes gave United their fourth straight win under new boss Michael Carrick but it was Romero's 29th-minute red card for a reckless challenge on Casemiro that was the turning point in the game.
The defeat leaves Frank's Spurs team still searching for their first win in 2026. They are nine points above the relegation zone with 18th-placed West Ham able to close the gap when they face fellow strugglers Burnley later on Saturday.
"Cristian, I think first and foremost, I think there's no intention to do the follow through and make a red," Frank told Sky Sports. "So I think he clearly goes for the ball. Unfortunately, the way the rules is, it's then a red. Christian apologised to his teammates in the dressing room."
Mbeumo's opening goal arrived nine minutes after Romero's sending off and it appeared to be made easier by the space he found at the edge of the area due to Romero's absence on the pitch.
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Asked if Mbeumo's goal would have happened if Spurs still had 11 players on the pitch, Frank replied: "No, because that was the area they could explore."
Frank then paused before continuing: "It can always happen, of course. Of course, you can play 10 against 11, but of course that was the area that then got a little bit more exposed."
Tottenham matches Romero will miss