The referee, Michael Oliver, immediately waved the red card for serious foul play, and VAR confirmed this, ruling that the tackle endangered an opponent. Tottenham then lost the match 2–0 with 10 men. This was Romero’s second red card of the 2025/26 season (the first was against Liverpool in December), which led to an automatic extended suspension under Premier League rules, resulting in a four-match ban instead of the standard three for a first offence.
Cuti will miss Tottenham’s next four Premier League matches, including:
vs Newcastle (home)
vs. Arsenal (the North London derby)
against Fulham
vs Crystal Palace
This means he may not be available again until mid-March (for example, some reports have mentioned a trip to Anfield against Liverpool as a possible return date). Romero has a history of disciplinary problems. This is his sixth red card for Spurs since joining in 2021, the most of any Premier League player in that period.
Tottenham manager Thomas Frank defended Romero’s passion but did not dispute the red card, and the player reportedly apologized to his teammates. Fans and pundits are divided, with some calling it a “horror” or “liability moment,” while others debate whether it was fully justified by the color on display. The incident has attracted a lot of attention, highlighting Romero’s ongoing discipline challenges despite his quality as a defender.
After January’s loss to Bournemouth, Romero posted an apology to fans and took aim at unnamed club figures for their lack of responsibility. He wrote:
“Apologies to all the fans… At times like this it should be other people who come out to speak, but they don’t – as has been happening for several years. They only show up when everything is going well, to tell a few lies.”
This was widely interpreted as a direct attack on Tottenham’s board, owner or executives for only communicating positively during good periods and remaining silent during struggles. Manager Thomas Frank addressed it and urged Romero to keep some matters internal, but no disciplinary action was taken (such as being stripped of the captaincy). It highlighted the growing frustration with the club’s leadership under the new regime.
The board and fans need to seriously consider the net value Cuti brings to Spurs.
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