Tottenham captain Cristian Romero left the pitch in tears after eight minutes of stoppage time in Spurs’ Premier League defeat to Sunderland. The captain collided with his own goalkeeper, Antonin Kinski, as he tried to stop Brian Brobbey’s run in front of goal. The Sunderland striker lunged at Romero, who had a nasty collision with his team-mate at the Stadium of Light, which resulted in Kinski being cut.
Despite getting back on his feet after a long break, Romero was forced off and replaced by Kevin Danso. The Argentina center back cried on his way off the field and was consoled by his teammates, while Roberto de Zerbi patted his captain on the back. His sentiments will spark fears the centre-back will face sideline duties while the North Londoners are locked in a relegation battle. Sunderland won 1-0 in the 61st minute with Nordi Mukiele scoring a shot that went wide.
Goalie Kinski required a head bandage, but was able to continue playing after being tested for a concussion. Former Spurs midfielder Jamie O’Hara also told Sky Sports News that Brobby should have been sacked for his involvement in the incident.
O’Hara said: “He (Romero) looks like he’s leaving in tears. Romero bumps into Kinski and Kinski cuts his head. Blobby pushes Romero into Kinski. He shouldn’t be on the pitch. Referee Rob Jones is absolutely stinky. He’s got three red cards.”
Former Chelsea and Everton forward Pat Nevin told BBC Radio 5 Live: “If a player takes a knee to the head and needs treatment, that means there was a lot of force involved in that collision.”
Romero, 27, has just returned from a four-game suspension for his second Premier League red card of the season. He missed the draw against Liverpool, Spurs’ only point under former caretaker manager Igor Tudor, after sustaining a concussion after colliding heads with Joao Parinha in the Champions League defeat to Atletico Madrid last month.
The trip to Sunderland was De Zerbi’s first game in charge, replacing Tudor, who was absent during the March international break. Injuries and suspensions have limited Romero to just 23 of Spurs’ 32 Premier League games this season, scoring four goals.
The defeat against Sunderland leaves Tottenham without a win in the Premier League in 2026, leaving them in the relegation zone. The Londoners are 18th in the table and are two points behind West Ham with six games remaining.
De Zerbi’s first home game will be when Spurs host former club Brighton at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium next Saturday night.
Spurs’ most recent win in the top flight was a 1-0 win away to Crystal Palace on 28 December. Since then, they have gone 14 games in over 100 days without a win in the league and have accumulated one point from their remaining 24 games.
