Tottenham captain Cristian Romero’s red card during their Premier League match against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Saturday, February 7. The dismissal came around the 29th minute for a reckless, studs-up challenge on Manchester United midfielder Casemiro, where Romero caught the Brazilian on the ankle/shin with excessive force.
The referee, Michael Oliver, immediately brandished the red card for serious foul play, and VAR confirmed it, deeming the tackle as endangering an opponent. Tottenham went on to lose the game 2-0 with 10 men. This was Romero’s second red card of the 2025/26 season (the first was against Liverpool in December), which triggered an automatic extended suspension under Premier League rules, resulting in a four-match ban rather than the standard three for a first offence.
Cuti will miss Tottenham’s next four Premier League fixtures, including:
vs. Newcastle (home)
vs. Arsenal (the North London derby)
vs. Fulham
vs. Crystal Palace
This means he won’t be available again until potentially mid-March (e.g., a trip to Anfield against Liverpool has been mentioned as a possible return date in some reports). Romero has a history of disciplinary issues, with this being his sixth red card for Spurs since joining in 2021, the most of any Premier League player in that period.
Tottenham manager Thomas Frank defended Romero’s passion but didn’t dispute the red card, and the player reportedly apologised to teammates. Fans and pundits have been divided, with some calling it a “horror” or “liability” moment, while others debate if it was fully warranted by the colour shown. The incident has drawn widespread coverage, highlighting Romero’s ongoing discipline challenges despite his quality as a defender.
After the loss in January against Bournemouth, Romero posted an apology to fans and aimed at unnamed club figures for their lack of accountability. He wrote:
“Apologies to all fans… At times like this, it should be other people coming out to speak, but they don’t – as has been happening for several years now. They only show up when things are going well, to tell a few lies.”
This was widely interpreted as a direct jab at the Tottenham board, ownership, or executives for only communicating positively during good periods and staying silent during struggles. Manager Thomas Frank addressed it, urging Romero to keep some matters internal, but no disciplinary action (like stripping the captaincy) was taken. It highlighted growing frustration with the club’s direction under the new regime.
The board and fans need to have a serious think about the net value Cuti brings to Spurs.