Cristian Romero became a centre of controversy before Tottenham vs. Everton on the final day of the season.
Cristian Romero has made a habit of creating headlines during his time with Tottenham Hotspur.
Reports emerged last week suggesting that Cristian Romero will not be attending Spurs’ relegation-decider vs. Everton at home on the final day of the season on Sunday, as he will be in his native to watch his boyhood club Belgrano play River Plate in the Argentina Primera Division Apertura final.
This led to the central defender attracting criticism from all corners of the world, but Tottenham head coach Roberto De Zerbi defended his captain’s expected absence. He added that the decision for Romero, who is currently sidelined with a knee injury and racing to be fit for the World Cup, to return to Argentina to continue his rehabilitation was agreed with the club’s medical staff.
However, Romero caught almost everyone by surprise by returning to North London from Argentina for Tottenham’s decisive game against Everton. The 28-year-old was spotted in the stands as the Lilywhites beat Everton 1-0 and secured safety in the Premier League.
Keith Wyness lauds Cristian Romero’s decision to return to England for the crunch Tottenham vs. Everton fixture
Now, former Everton chief executive Keith Wyness has given his verdict on the controversy surrounding Romero. He feels the defender made the right decision to travel back to England from his homeland in time to attend Tottenham’s crunch clash vs. Everton on the final day of the campaign.
“Because of the jeopardy that Spurs were in, that story gained a lot of traction. I heard it talked about a lot,” Keith Wyness said on Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast.
“People were really slamming Romero for this because they were sure he was going to be in Argentina watching River Plate. The facts were that he was actually on the touchline, and he claims there was no foundation to the story.
“We’ll have to find out if that’s the case or not. But in the end, the right thing was done. The captain has a responsibility, and he should be there for such a crisis game. Let’s see what Romero does for next season.
“In the end, the right things were done, and this story probably got more coverage than it would have done if it had just been a middle table clash at the end of the season. It was a crucial game, and he was rightly there.”
Romero’s time at Tottenham is up!
Romero’s actions just a couple of days before arguably the most important game in the club’s recent history, rightly outraged the Tottenham fans, former players and pundits. It felt like a total disrespect to the club he is contracted to. Fans, in particular, couldn’t fathom their skipper and leader choosing to be thousands of miles away from a game of this magnitude.
Eventually, the Cordoba-born star came back to North London to watch his teammates win the battle against relegation, sharing the tension, anxiety and joy with thousands of fans inside the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The defender also celebrated the survival with his teammates on the pitch after the final whistle.
As a result, Romero’s legacy hasn’t been completely tarnished, but a distinct question over his future in N17 prevails. And it would be fair to suggest that the majority of the Spurs fanbase have accepted that Romero has played his final game in a Lilywhite and will be on the move in the upcoming summer transfer window.