Gary Neville has condemned Tottenham Hotspur for poor management regarding captain Cristian Romero, who initially planned to miss the club's final Premier League match to watch boyhood club Belgrano compete in an Argentine title decider. The defender eventually appeared on the bench for Spurs' clash against Everton, but the saga highlighted another layer of dysfunction at the north London club during a turbulent season.
Romero's initial absence plan drew sharp criticism from the Sky Sports pundit, who questioned the decision-making at board and managerial level. "It's another something Tottenham fans can look at and think there's another disconnect," Neville said. "They are coming here today to support their team and the captain or the club is considering not being here for the last game of the season. Bad decision. Poor choice."
A Pattern of Poor Choices
Neville highlighted the broader implications of allowing a captain to miss a decisive fixture, particularly one where Tottenham faced the prospect of historic relegation from the Premier League. The pundit added: "What are you thinking? Did you not think he'd been spotted back in Argentina? Did you not think he'd be seen as missing in action? It's symptomatic of poor decision making."
Manager Roberto De Zerbi deflected questions about Romero's availability before the match, citing injury concerns with other players instead. Romero and fellow defender Dejan Kulusevski were present at the stadium watching teammates warm up, alongside injured West Ham loanee Mohammed Kudus. The absence of Kulusevski and Kudus through serious injury has compounded Tottenham's defensive crisis throughout the campaign.
Romero faces an uncertain future at the club, with reports suggesting Atletico Madrid could pursue the Argentine centre-back during the summer transfer window. His potential departure would mark another significant loss for a squad already ravaged by injuries and inconsistency. Tottenham needed a point against Everton to mathematically confirm they could not be relegated for the first time in their Premier League history, underscoring the stakes of their final-day fixture and the captain's priorities during a defining moment.
