Tottenham Hotspur captain Cristian Romero has avoided any formal disciplinary action from the club following a controversial social media post that appeared to accuse unnamed figures within the club's hierarchy of dishonesty.
No Fine, No Captaincy Strip
Manager Thomas Frank has confirmed that the Argentine defender will not be fined and will not lose the captain's armband. Frank revealed that he and the club's sporting director, Johan Lange, held discussions with Romero and consider the issue resolved internally.
"He is our captain, he has not been fined," Frank stated. "There's a lot of ways to deal with different situations. We've chosen to have a good conversation with him, understand where he stands, handle it internally. Johan and I spoke together. Johan and I had a conversation with Cuti. Done."
The Controversial Post and Reaction
The incident stemmed from a post on Romero's Instagram account made after Tottenham's emotional 3-2 defeat away to Bournemouth on Wednesday night. The match was also notable for an angry post-match exchange between vice-captain Micky van de Ven and travelling fans.
Romero's initial message included an apology to supporters and a pledge to improve results. However, it took a pointed turn with the addition: "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."
The post garnered significant attention within the squad. Teammates including Xavi Simons and Richarlison 'liked' it, while Pedro Porro commented "Amen" and added supportive words in Spanish. Romero later edited the post to remove the reference to "lies".
Broader Context and Manager's Insistence on Unity
The 27-year-old World Cup winner, who signed a new four-year contract last summer and was appointed captain after Son Heung-min's departure, has a history of cryptic social media activity. This latest outburst is seen by some as a critique of the club's ambition, potentially straining manager Frank's consistent message of internal alignment under the new ownership of the Lewis family and chief executive Vinai Venkatesham.
"It is very important to stress that even though there's noise, the club is very aligned," Frank insisted. "Johan, Vinai and I are very aligned. Ownership is very aligned. We know it's a tough spell that we need to get through."
The episode adds to a frustrating season for Spurs, who have slipped to 14th in the Premier League with just two wins in their last twelve matches since late October. The club's woes were compounded at Bournemouth by further injury setbacks to Rodrigo Bentancur, Lucas Bergvall, and Mohamed Kudus, with Dejan Kulusevski also facing a delayed return.
