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Tottenham captain Cristian Romero has been criticized after opting to fly back to Argentina rather than support his teammates in their final-day Premier League relegation decider against Everton.
The injured defender is traveling home to watch his boyhood club, Belgrano, in a historic championship decider against River Plate on Sunday instead of sitting in the stands at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Romero Prioritizes Boyhood Club Over Spurs Survival
The center back has been out of action since suffering a knee injury during a 1-0 defeat at Sunderland last month, a match that marked Roberto De Zerbi's debut in the Spurs dugout.
While the defender cannot physically take to the pitch, his role as a leader has been called into question due to his impending absence from north London during a relegation decider.
Despite his injury, Romero had previously been a visible presence on the touchline, even joining in the celebrations when Mathys Tel scored a vital goal against Leeds United earlier this month.
However, the 28-year-old has now chosen to return to his homeland to witness Belgrano take on River Plate in a historic Argentine league championship final.
The timing is particularly sensitive as Tottenham face the very real threat of being relegated to English football's second tier on the same afternoon.
'Good Club Captain, Then!'
The defender’s choice was confirmed by South American football expert Tim Vickery during an appearance on talkSPORT, leading to an immediate and fierce reaction from host and Spurs fan Paul Hawksbee.
The broadcaster was clinical in his assessment of the Tottenham captain, suggesting that the player’s priorities lay far away from the Premier League survival scrap.
Explaining his stance, Hawksbee said: "Good club captain, then. Not at Tottenham's biggest game since 1976 – fantastic. True to the end, good old Cristian. I'll be wearing my River Plate shirt at the weekend. I think that's terrible.
"He goes and watches the club he supports as opposed to the club captain of a team that's threatened with relegation, where he's not there with the lads and all the other injured players. But you know, I mean, as I said, it's true at the end; I always thought that Cristian Romero was just passing through and that Tottenham were a distraction from Argentina. But I am quite bitter."
The Historical Significance Of Belgrano vs River Plate
Vickery attempted to provide context regarding why the fixture in Argentina holds such 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 secondary interest but a connection to his roots at a moment that could define the history of his former club.
Vickery noted the gravity of the match in South America, stating: "I knew this would wind you up. Belgrano are Romero's club. It's the club where he started, and he's a fan. Belgrano have never won the Argentine Championship, and they are going to River Plate, who have 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 going down is off the scale, River Plate going down is even more off the scale."
Spurs Fighting For Survival
De Zerbi is hoping to guide Spurs to Premier League survival.
Since his appointment, the Italian coach has overseen six matches, recording two wins, two draws, and two defeats as he attempts to steer the north London side away from relegation danger.
Tottenham’s fate remains hanging in the balance heading into the final round of the season.
A defeat away to Everton, combined with a West Ham United victory over Leeds United would see Spurs relegated to the Championship.
However, a win over Everton would guarantee Tottenham’s Premier League status. Even a draw will be enough for Spurs to survive, given their significantly superior goal difference compared to West Ham (-10 against -22).
2026 FIFA World Cup: How To Watch
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will run from June 11–July 19, 2026. Spread across three countries, the tournament will culminate with the final on July 19 at New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. All 104 tournament matches will air live across FOX (70) and FS1 (34) with every match streaming live and on-demand within both the FOX One and the FOX Sports app. A record 40 matches, more than one-third of the tournament, will air in prime time across FOX (21) and FS1 (19).
The opening match on June 11 between Mexico and South Africa (3 p.m. ET) will stream for free on Tubi, as well as the USA's opening match against Paraguay on June 12 (9 p.m. ET).
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English Premier League 
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Mathys Tel 
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Belgrano 
River Plate
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