Cristian Romero won't be in the stadium when Spurs play the most important match of their season. He's in Argentina, watching his boyhood club Belgrano face River Plate, while his teammates fight to stay in the Premier League.
Spurs sit two points above West Ham United going into the final day. Two points. After a season of laboured performances under Roberto De Zerbi, they are exactly where they shouldn't be — needing a result to avoid the Championship. The margin is thin enough that the absence of their captain barely registers as a surprise anymore. This season has been one grinding crisis after another.
De Zerbi is keeping his composure — just
Romero's injury means he couldn't play regardless. But turning up injured to support your teammates costs nothing, and the fact that he chose Argentina over North London hasn't sat well with supporters. The BBC noted it's unclear whether he's even receiving treatment there, describing him as "in a race against time" for World Cup fitness. Draw your own conclusions about where his priorities lie right now.
De Zerbi has been careful with his words. "I'm not stupid. If I understand there is any player or some player who thinks for himself before the club, I can't be the same Roberto," he said. Then, almost immediately, the caveat: "With Cuti Romero, I can't say nothing because with me in my time, he's been correct."
That's a manager threading a needle. He's not burning the bridge, but he's clearly aware of what it looks like. When pressed on whether he understood the fan reaction, De Zerbi simply said: "100% I understand."
The stakes couldn't be higher
Relegation from the Premier League isn't just a sporting embarrassment — it reshapes a club's finances, its squad, and its ability to attract players for years. Spurs dropping into the Championship would be one of the division's most dramatic falls in recent memory. Their survival odds, already reflecting a nervous final day, now carry the extra weight of a fractured dressing room atmosphere they can ill afford.
De Zerbi insists he has "players good enough to achieve our target." He may well be right. But right now, Spurs are a club where the captain is watching football in Buenos Aires the week they might get relegated. That tells you something about how this season has unravelled.
