'Tottenham relegated? I'm leaving anyway?' Captain Romero flees to his homeland, legends furious: "Just stay away and earn us transfer fees"

*This content was translated by AI.

Tottenham captain Cristian Romero (28) is facing fierce criticism from club legends for leaving for his homeland ahead of the final match that will determine whether the team is relegated.

The UK's 'Daily Mail' reported on the 23rd (Korean time) that "Tottenham legend Glenn Hoddle sharply criticized Romero's selfish move to fly to Argentina to cheer for his former club while ignoring the crucial relegation-deciding match against Everton."

Tottenham will play their final 38th round home match of the 2025-2026 English Premier League (EPL) season against Everton at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, UK, at 0:00 on the 25th.

Romero, who suffered a knee injury in last month's match against Sunderland and has been out for the season, recently departed for Argentina. Sitting in 17th place with 38 points, Tottenham failed to gain any points after their previous defeat to Chelsea, leaving them in a desperate situation where their survival depends entirely on the result of the match against Everton. A draw would be enough for them to stay in the league on their own, but if 18th-placed West Ham (36 points) wins and Tottenham loses, they will face the worst-case scenario of relegation.

The media reported that "the club urged fans to give their full support and called for unity. However, it was confirmed that the captain, Romero, actually visited the local training ground to watch the final match of his hometown team, Belgrano."

Glenn Hoddle, who served as both captain and manager at Tottenham, took to his social media (SNS) to express his anger, stating, "It is shameful that the captain returned to his homeland just to watch a football match when the team is on the verge of relegation."

He added, "If it were a family matter, I would understand, but if the purpose is simply to watch a match, they should be sold immediately to secure transfer fees." He pointed out that Romero "abandoned his pride as Tottenham's captain and revealed his selfish true colors."

Teddy Sheringham, a former star striker for Tottenham, also joined the criticism. He said, "It is a bad precedent for the captain not to rally his teammates in the locker room ahead of the most important match in the club's history," and added, "I simply cannot understand the club's decision to allow such irresponsible behavior."

Meanwhile, Romero has appeared in only one match since manager Roberto De Zerbi took charge on the 1st of last month. The reason Romero is facing even more criticism is the high possibility of a transfer this summer to clubs such as Atletico Madrid. This is the background for accusations that he is irresponsibly ignoring his team's relegation battle while preparing to leave the club. In response, manager De Zerbi has held his tongue, stating, "It is not the right time to discuss Romero's future at the club."

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*This content was translated by AI.