Cuti Romero warned "things need to change"

Toby Alderweireld pulls no punches

The situation at Tottenham between Cuti Romero and the fans feels fraught. At first, it seemed as if fans were picking up on his mood and championing him.

After a 3-2 loss against Bournemouth, Romero posted an Instagram message apologising to fans but criticising club figures:

The original version said something like: “At times like this, it should be other people coming out to speak, but they don’t — as has been happening for several years now. They only show up when things are going well, to tell a few lies.”

He edited the original post and deleted the “lies” bit, but the rest remained.

Teammates including Richarlison and Pedro Porro liked it.

Manager Thomas Frank called it a “mistake” by a young leader but handled it internally without a fine.

After a 2-2 comeback draw against Manchester City (with a heavily depleted squad), Romero posted:

He’d been available despite feeling ill, noting they had “only 11 players available – unbelievable but true and disgraceful.”

This was widely seen as criticism of Tottenham’s recruitment/injury management and lack of depth after the January transfer window. Again, it drew attention but was dealt with internally; he remained captain.

Then there has been noise around the club about just how committed he is, when Argentina is an alternative.

Consequently, the mood changed.

Romero (injured with a knee issue, out for the rest of the Premier League campaign) flew back to Argentina for rehabilitation instead of staying with the squad for the crucial match against Everton.

He was seen at his boyhood club Belgrano (including their title-deciding clash vs. River Plate), which sparked major backlash from Spurs fans and pundits. Critics accused him of prioritising Argentina preparations and his personal ties over club loyalty during a crisis.

De Zerbi defended the decision as medically approved for rehab ahead of the 2026 World Cup but acknowledged fan anger - ”100% I understand” was the quote.

Romero reportedly returned to the stadium after the backlash.

Ultimately, the Argentina trip created bad optics and hurt his standing with some fans, highlighting his deep national ties.

Transfer noise is towards European clubs rather than a return home. His focus right now is likely on recovering for Argentina at the 2026 World Cup. Things could evolve in the summer window.

Much-loved former Spurs man Toby Alderweireld has attempted to pour oil on the troubled waters, telling The Sun:

“He’s an unbelievable player. He’s pure quality; he’s quick, strong, and he’s aggressive.

But the only thing is that he needs to know that he cannot do some things that he did. That’s the reality.

And if he stays, I think it needs to be decided very quickly. Like, look, he’s staying; maybe he’s our captain. And then you need to improve. That’s it.

And you need to know that as a captain, you need to perform on this level. Sometimes you go up or a little bit down, but not like this, and he needs to get to this level all the time.

So he can stay, for sure. He’s an unbelievable player. But things need to change because again, if you don’t change anything, you get the same situation as last season.”

The question is, does Cuti give tuppence as to what Spurs fans think, or will this be another Lo Celso moment?

Tottenham appears to be prioritising their backline. Will Romero become a natural casualty of the change?