Cristian Romero Criticised for Letting Tottenham Down During International Duty
Graham Roberts Criticises Cristian Romero for Prioritising Argentina Over Tottenham
Cristian Romero’s recovery has been handled with great care over recent months, with Ange Postecoglou determined to avoid any further injury issues for the centre-back or his defensive partner, Micky van de Ven.
Despite these precautions, Romero played the full 90 minutes in both of Argentina’s recent World Cup qualifiers against Uruguay and Brazil—something that seemingly went against the carefully planned fitness regimen set by Tottenham.
While it raised concerns at the club, Postecoglou expressed his satisfaction with Romero getting game time, stating it was ultimately a positive for Spurs.
However, former Tottenham defender Graham Roberts wasn’t nearly as pleased.
He criticised Romero for playing the entirety of both matches during the international break, arguing that it showed a lack of commitment to his club.
Roberts pointed out that Romero only played an hour in the match against Fulham just before heading off for national duty.
Speaking to Mr Vegas Casino, Roberts said: “I just don’t get it. We gave him 60 minutes against Fulham to ease him back, and then he goes and plays two full games for Argentina.
It doesn’t make sense.
I’m not happy about it—Ange and the club have looked after him really well.
“If he was fit enough to start, he should’ve played the whole game against Fulham.
Micky van de Ven didn’t go away with his national team and was on the bench for that game.
We’re protecting them both, but Romero didn’t seem to follow through with that care.
“It’s disappointing. If he’d played 60 minutes in each international game, fair enough. But playing every minute? That’s a concern.
The club pays his wages and supported his recovery—this wasn’t what we expected.”
Roberts’ frustration seems rooted in the belief that Romero should feel a level of gratitude toward the Tottenham staff for guiding him through his recovery process and managing his playing time responsibly.
Yet, it appears Romero may not share that sentiment. In fact, reports have suggested he may even be upset with Spurs’ medical team.
Allegedly, the defender was unhappy with how his injury and recovery were handled in recent months—raising questions about his relationship with the club’s medical staff and his level of trust in their methods.
