Tottenham Hotspur defender Cristian Romero has been handed a further one-match suspension and a substantial financial penalty by the Football Association. The punishment stems from his conduct following a sending-off during the recent Premier League fixture against Liverpool.
Additional Sanction for Post-Red Card Conduct
The Argentine centre-back, who serves as Spurs captain, was initially shown a red card for receiving two yellow cards in the match against Liverpool. This triggered an automatic one-match ban, which he served in the following game against Crystal Palace.
However, the FA brought a separate charge against Romero for failing to leave the field of play "promptly" after his dismissal. Romero later admitted to this charge, leading to an independent regulatory commission hearing the case.
The commission's decision was twofold: a £50,000 fine and an additional one-match suspension. This extra ban will be served immediately, ruling Romero out of Tottenham's upcoming FA Cup fourth-round tie at home to Aston Villa on Saturday.
Social Media Comments Hint at Dressing Room Tensions
The disciplinary news follows a week of off-pitch drama involving the defender. After Spurs' 3-2 defeat to Bournemouth on Wednesday, Romero took to social media, posting cryptic comments that appeared to accuse the club's board of dishonesty.
Although the post was later edited to remove the direct reference to "lies", the original sentiment was endorsed by 'likes' from several Tottenham teammates. This action has been interpreted by many as a sign of growing disillusionment within the squad regarding the club's ambition in the transfer market.
Manager Frank Backs His Captain Despite Mistakes
In his press conference on Thursday, Spurs boss Thomas Frank offered a robust defence of his skipper, while acknowledging his error in making the comments public.
"After Cuti became the captain, he's done a lot of good things right," Frank stated. "I said it when I named him the captain that even though he's an experienced player, he's still a young leader. A lot of the things he's done well on and off the pitch, I'm happy with."
The manager praised Romero's leadership in the Bournemouth match, saying: "I'm actually very happy with his performance last night. He was a true captain in many ways. Speaking up at half-time when we were 2-1 down, keep believing, keep doing the right things."
Frank conceded that mistakes are part of a young leader's development, adding, "of course it's good to keep it internally." Crucially, the manager confirmed he would not take further disciplinary action over the social media post and would not consider stripping Romero of the captaincy.
The combined sanctions from the FA mean Tottenham will be without their defensive leader for a crucial cup fixture, as the incident adds to a turbulent period for the North London club.
