Cristian Romero: A successful 5 years or a tarnished legacy?
Despite these achievements, the fanbase remains very divided when it comes to overall opinions of the player, as well as his transfer to Atletico Madrid. Should Romero be considered a hero to modern Spurs fans, accomplishing the very thing some of the greats of the game couldn't? Or were his actions late on in his Spurs career worthy of his legacy being tarnished?
Holding the board accountable
One aspect of Romero's Tottenham tenure that earned the respect of many fans was his open criticism of the way the football club was ran, prioritising financial gain over footballing success. In December 2024, Romero suggested that the clubs transfer policy was causing them to fall behind their rivals in the league.
Over a year later Romero was back in the news for his explosive comments made against the Spurs hierarchy claiming it was a ''disgrace'' that Tottenham had just 11 senior players fit to face Manchester City back in February. The 28-year-old also stated that club officials ''only show up when things are going well, to tell a few lies.''
Whilst publicly criticising your employer usually being a massive no go, many fans felt delighted that a senior player echoed what fans of the club have felt for the last two decades. Furthermore, highlighting what to expect from the captain going forward - expressing his eagerness to move the club in the right direction and provide the fans with what they deserve; a competitive football team.
That night in Bilbao
Despite Heung-Min Son being the club captain for the 2024/25 season, it was Romero who led the side out for its' first European cup final in 6 years. During the game, Romero was spotless, making 10 clearances, winning 3 ground duels and on top of that winning the Man of the Match and Player of the Tournament awards.
What every Spurs fan cared about however was becoming European champions, winning 1-0 in a tightly contested fixture versus Manchester United. After the game, Romero said ''We achieved what we wanted to as a group and that's what matters. My name is part of the history of this beautiful club.''
His availability was nowhere near perfect - I'll get onto that later on - but the knockout fixtures versus Bodo, Frankfurt and eventually Man United are up there with some of the best individual performances of any Spurs defender in recent memory.
Availability and his lack of it
From 2021 to 2026, if a player was to play every single Premier League fixture, they would have featured in 190 games. Romero played in 123, equating to 64%, a really poor showing from a defender who is expected to feature often due to the nature of their position.
Across all competitions Romero played in 156 matches however injuries prevented him featuring in a staggering 58 games, this also excludes the three games he missed in his first season whilst he was isolating with COVID-19. And that's just the injuries, his suspension record isn't much better.
Across his Tottenham career, Romero was ineligible to play in 12 games due to yellow card and red card suspensions. His most recent suspension came this season after a red card offence that was deemed to be violent conduct which resulted in Romero serving a 4 match ban spanning across a whole month of the season.
At times fans like myself criticised the media's coverage of Romero, deeming it to be all agenda-driven and showcasing a clear bias against him. However, a record like this seems impossible to glance over.
Argentina, Belgrano, Spurs. In that order
Throughout his time at Tottenham, Romero hasn't tried to hide the clear love he has for his country Argentina. Whilst this can be a good thing, this passion often rubbed fans the wrong way. On many occasions Cristian Romero missed spells of league and European games due to injury however was soon available to play for Argentina for international duties. Whilst this is all speculation and can't be proven as a matter of fact or not, fans rightfully questioned his commitments and suggested he 'used Tottenham as a camp to stay fit for Argentina.'
On the final week of the season, a bombardment of news sources reported that the then injured Romero had chosen to jet to Argentina to watch River Plate vs his boyhood club Belgrano in Argentina. This was also reportedly approved by the club, however after backlash from supporters online Romero attended Tottenham's must-win game versus Everton instead.
Despite Romero not being able to feature due to being sidelined with a knock, every single Spurs player was in attendance regardless of if they could or couldn't feature. If the reports are true, it showcases a lack of leadership, loyalty and leading by example from a captain of a football club.
Picking up the phone to Arteta
Perhaps the most controversial of them all, reports from Sky journalists as well as reputable 'In the know' sources covering Tottenham pointed fingers towards Cristian Romero being open to a move to North London rivals Arsenal. According to reports, Romero had spoken to Mikel Arteta on numerous occasions and had been convinced to make the switch to the Gunners
According to Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal held interest in Romero however Tottenham would never sanction a move to Arsenal. However, Paul O'Keefe confirmed that the talks surrounding an Arsenal move was initiated by Romero's camp.
No matter which way you look at it, despite there being a lack of concrete evidence or quotes directly from the player, some of Tottenham's most credible sources for player information and transfer news indicated that the Tottenham man was open to a move but that Atletico remained his preference, which for many - including myself - is where the bridge was burnt.
Writers opinion
During his early days up until 2025, I really enjoyed Romero, what he stood for and how he conducted himself - especially with the board. His injury record and card suspensions were irritating, but his aggressive style of play was always going to be paired with those disadvantages.
However the last 8 months has left a really sour taste. His hot headed ways in a time where a young, struggling side needed a calm professional to guide them through the storm, Romero wasn't there to offer that. I'll always be thankful for his performances in the knockouts of the Europa League in 2024/25, but a player of a top club shouldn't remain at a club based off of one-off performances if they haven't demonstrated them since. What made matters worse was every time he left Spurs for Argentina he would put on absolutely world-class shifts, because he respected them. He respected his staff, his teammates and his fans.
The fee might have been low, but a new era at Tottenham Hotspur sees us becoming more cut throat, handing out less chances and demanding higher standards. On his day, a elite defender. However that day came around far too little.
All the best, Cuti.
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