Cristian Romero has been charged by the Football Association for his behaviour towards referee John Brooks in Tottenham’s 2-1 defeat by Liverpool
The Football Association has hit Cristian Romero with charges for allegedly failing to exit the field swiftly and conducting himself inappropriately towards referee John Brooks following his dismissal during Tottenham’s 2-1 loss to Liverpool.
An official FA statement declared: “Tottenham Hotspur’s Cristian Romero has been charged following their Premier League match against Liverpool on Saturday 20 December.
“It’s alleged that he acted in an improper manner by failing to promptly leave the field of play and/or behaving in a confrontational and/or aggressive manner towards the match referee after being sent off in the 93rd minute. Cristian Romero has until Friday 2 January 2026 to respond.”
This deadline comes just one day after Spurs’ New Year’s Day clash with Brentford and two days prior to their home encounter with Sunderland. Romero is already guaranteed to sit out Tottenham’s fixture against Crystal Palace on 28 December due to the standard one-match suspension for receiving two yellow cards in a single match.
Spurs manager Thomas Frank expressed his displeasure with Romero’s red card when addressing the media post-match. He remarked: “You can see there’s probably a reason why the whole team reacted as they do. I think that’s probably a good indicator.
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“Normally, if it’s one player reacting, if it’s the whole team, probably because there’s something about it. I think we all played football enough and seen enough football that there’s something probably around that.
“So, I can’t see if it’s right or wrong that he gives the first yellow. The second yellow, I see two big boys competing; Konate absolutely smashing through Cuti [Romero]. It’s a foul, I’m not saying more.
“His foot landed on Cuti’s head. Not a yellow, I’m not saying that. Cuti makes a reaction. I think I guess it can be given, but also I guess it can be not given.”
Frank also had more to say about Romero on Tuesday. He stated: “We’re talking about a player, a very passionate player, that, when he is at his absolute top, he carries the team on his back, like he did in the Europa League final. Without him, we wouldn’t have won the trophy, like he did away to Newcastle, like he’s done many times.
“When you’re very passionate, sometimes you can maybe, in a few moments, lack the extra coolness. Sometimes, maybe. Something he’s working on.
“I think you have a player where the second goal for me still is a clear, clear, clear foul. And, OK, I haven’t played on the highest level.
“Everyone who played on the highest level, if they know there’s a foul, they know it’s a foul. And they’re very, very reactive. It’s a clear foul. So he felt hard done by.
“So the mistake he did there was he was running, unfortunately, touching John Brooks. That means he, when he touched the ref, you know, unfortunately, you need to have a yellow. But let’s say it was a foul given, don’t give the first yellow. You don’t get the second yellow.
“The second yellow is a mistake, obviously, from Cuti, which he’s agreeing on. But before that, he was the one that competed, like, very passionate for the first corner, competed on that duel, and the second duel, when we scored to make it 2-1. So you need to accept if you have passionate players that, you know, it’s part of it.”
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