Tottenham Hotspur captain Cristian Romero has sparked fan backlash after deciding to travel to Argentina to watch his former club Belgrano instead of supporting his teammates in Sunday's crucial Premier League relegation decider against Everton.
Romero, who has been ruled out for the season with a knee injury sustained in last month's 1-0 loss to Sunderland, will attend Belgrano's Argentine title match against River Plate. The 28-year-old defender was seen at Belgrano's training ground on Friday, according to a social media post by the club.
Spurs need a victory at home against Everton to secure 17th place and avoid relegation, which would send West Ham United down. Despite Romero's absence, manager Roberto De Zerbi expressed sympathy for the player, saying, 'Romero loves Tottenham, people have to know he's suffering for this injury.'
Fans have criticised Romero's decision on social media, with some calling it 'disgraceful' and speculating that it signals the end of his time at the club. Romero has been linked with a move to Atletico Madrid this summer, despite having three years left on his contract.
The defender joined Tottenham in 2022 from Atalanta and has made 156 appearances for the club. In his absence, Radu Dragusin and Kevin Danso have partnered Micky van de Ven in central defence.
