Tottenham Hotspur head coach Roberto De Zerbi has defended Cristian Romero’s decision to return to Argentina ahead of his side’s crucial final-day Premier League match against Everton — but says he “100 per cent” understands fans’ anger over his decision to miss the game.
Romero’s boyhood club Belgrano posted a video on Thursday of the injured Spurs captain in kit carrying a bag of footballs at their training ground.
Belgrano president Luis Artime then told Argentine publication Deportes 24 that Romero would attend their final against River Plate on Sunday, May 24.
“He wrote to us and he congratulated us, he said that we need to make history,” Artime said. “Will he have tickets? Of course, he’ll watch it next to me.”
Belgrano’s match falls on the final day of the Premier League season, however, meaning Romero will miss Tottenham’s match against Everton, in which their potential relegation will be decided. After losing 2-1 to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday, De Zerbi’s side are only two points ahead of West Ham and the relegation zone and are at risk of being leapfrogged depending on the 18th-placed side’s result.
“He spoke with the medical staff,” De Zerbi said at a press conference on Friday. “Together, they decided to go to Argentina to complete the rehab with the Argentinian medical staff.
“We spoke last week. He showed always he wanted to stay with us. He’s already injured. We have to accept. I’m not stupid. If I understand that there is any player who thinks of himself before the club, I can’t be the same Roberto. But with Cuti Romero, I can’t say anything — with me, in my time, he has been correct from the beginning until now.
“He can’t change anything, Romero, if he is at the stadium or not. Finally, I have no time to lose energy thinking about other things, we have to be focused just on the game. We have the players good enough to achieve our target.
“Not all leaders are the same. Ben Davies spoke with me and asked today to stay with us. Tomorrow, we sleep in the lodge in the hotel and he wanted to stay with his team-mates. But Romero is preparing for the World Cup with his injury.”
Romero, 28, sustained a season-ending injury in April, tearing his medial collateral ligament in his right knee during the 1-0 defeat by Sunderland. It came only three games after missing five matches with a red-card suspension and concussion protocol. The defender has not publicly commented on his reasons for being in Argentina.
Romero has made 32 appearances for Spurs this term, registering six goals and four assists, in his fourth season in north London. In a disrupted campaign of three head coaches and only 38 points, the defender has been outspoken and appeared to criticise the club’s hierarchy.
After Tottenham’s 3-2 loss at Bournemouth in January, he apologised to Spurs fans before saying: “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.”
Romero has been named in Argentina’s provisional 55-man squad for the World Cup. The defending champions start their tournament against Algeria on June 17.