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Tottenham captain Cristian Romero has come under fire after opting to fly back to Argentina rather than support his team-mates in the Premier League’s final day decider against Everton.
The injured defender will travel home to watch his boyhood club Belgrano in a historic championship decider against River Plate on Sunday instead of sitting in the stands at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Romero prioritizes Boyhood Club over Spurs survival
The centre-back has been out of action since suffering a knee injury during the 1-0 defeat to Sunderland last month, a match which marked Roberto De Zerbi’s debut on the Spurs bench.
While the defender cannot physically take the field, his role as a leader has been called into question due to his imminent absence from north London during the relegation decider.
Despite his injury, Romero had previously been a visible presence on the touchline, and even joined in the celebrations when Mathys Tel scored a vital goal against Leeds United earlier this month.
However, the 28-year-old has decided to return to his homeland to watch Belgrano’s match against River Plate in a historic final of the Argentine league championship.
The timing is particularly delicate as Tottenham face the very real threat of being relegated to the second tier of English football later that afternoon.
‘Nice club captain, then!’
The defender’s choice was confirmed by South American football expert Tim Vickery during an appearance on talkSPORT, prompting an immediate and fierce reaction from host and Spurs fan Paul Hawksbee.
The announcer was clinical in his assessment of the Tottenham captain, suggesting the player’s priorities were far removed from the fight for Premier League survival.
Explaining his stance, Hawksbee said: “So he’s a good club captain. Not in Tottenham’s biggest game since 1976, fantastic. Faithful in the end, good Cristian. I’ll wear my River Plate shirt at the weekend. I think it’s terrible.”
“He goes and looks at the club he supports, as opposed to the club captain of a team that is threatened with relegation, where he’s not with the lads and all the other injured players. But you know, I mean, like I said, in the end it’s true; I always thought Cristian Romero was just passing through and that Tottenham were a distraction from Argentina. But I’m quite bitter.”
The historical significance of Belgrano vs River Plate
Vickery attempted to provide context as to why the match in Argentina carries so much personal weight for Romero.
The World Cup winner began his career at Belgrano, joining the youth ranks in 2014 before making his senior debut two years later.
For Romero, this is not just a side interest but a connection to his roots at a moment that could define the history of his former club.
Vickery highlighted the seriousness of the match in South America and stated: “I knew this would make you nervous. Belgrano is Romero’s club. It is the club where he started and he is a fan. Belgrano never won the Argentine Championship and is going to River Plate, who won more than anyone else, so this is historic.”
“15 years ago, these two met in the playoff that relegated River Plate, and if Tottenham’s fall is off the scale, River Plate’s fall is even more off the scale.”
Spurs fighting for survival
De Zerbi hopes to guide Spurs to Premier League survival.
Since his appointment, the Italian coach has managed six games, recording two wins, two draws and two losses, as he attempts to steer the north London team away from the danger of relegation.
Tottenham’s fate remains at stake heading into the final round of the season.
A defeat to Everton, combined with a West Ham United victory over Leeds United, would see Spurs relegated to the Championship.
However, a victory over Everton would guarantee Tottenham Premier League status. Even a draw would be enough for Spurs to survive, given their significantly superior goal difference to West Ham (-10 to -22).
FIFA World Cup 2026: How to watch
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will take place from June 11 to July 19, 2026. Spread across three countries, the tournament will culminate with the final on July 19 at the New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. All 104 matches of the tournament will be broadcast live on FOX (70) and FS1 (34) and each match will be streamed live and on-demand on both FOX One and the FOX Sports app. A record 40 matches, more than a third of the tournament, will be broadcast in prime time on FOX (21) and FS1 (19).
The June 11 opening match between Mexico and South Africa (3 p.m. ET) will be streamed for free on Tubi, as will the United States’ opening match against Paraguay on June 12 (9 p.m. ET).
