The image of Tottenham Hotspur captain Cristian Romero walking off in tears, watched by head coach Roberto de Zerbi, could come to define a season drifting towards relegation trouble. The moment came during Spurs’ defeat at Sunderland, where they were 1-0 down with 25 minutes remaining in another damaging loss.
The image of Tottenham Hotspur captain Cristian Romero walking off in tears, watched by head coach Roberto de Zerbi, could come to define a season drifting towards relegation trouble. The moment came during Spurs’ defeat at Sunderland, where they were 1-0 down with 25 minutes remaining in another damaging loss.
De Zerbi’s early spell in charge, following the brief 44-day reign of Igor Tudor, has failed to produce a turnaround, with Tottenham showing little improvement since the managerial change. The team’s performance at Sunderland added another difficult chapter to what has become a deeply concerning campaign.
The defeat also extended Spurs’ winless league run to 14 matches, stretching back to their last victory on 28 December at Crystal Palace. On current form, questions over survival have intensified, with suggestions that the club is struggling simply to remain in the division.
De Zerbi, who built his reputation at Brighton and Marseille, now finds himself needing to act as both coach and psychologist to stabilise a squad short on confidence. He has acknowledged that mentality is now the key focus rather than tactical structure alone.
He stressed that his priority is to help players express their training-ground form during matches, suggesting that fear and pressure may be affecting performances. The head coach also admitted the situation is becoming an urgent challenge as the club battles relegation pressure.
Romero’s injury and emotional exit added to the uncertainty, with De Zerbi stating that further assessment is needed in the coming days. He described the captain as a key figure and expressed hope that the issue would not be serious, adding that Spurs need him for the remainder of the season.
Romero’s departure was caused by an incident involving Sunderland striker Brian Brobbey, who was said to have pushed him into goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky, who suffered a head wound but continued playing. The defender’s injury appeared to be linked to that challenge.
Former England goalkeeper Ben Foster questioned whether Romero’s emotional reaction sent the right message to his teammates during a critical stage of the match. He suggested that, as captain, Romero should have been rallying players rather than leaving the pitch in tears while the team still had time left to respond.
Foster added that Romero is one of the few players in the squad seen as having strong character and urged him to take a more vocal leadership role on the pitch. However, the incident has sparked debate over what it reflects about a Tottenham side already under severe pressure.
