Tottenham skipper Cristian Romero appeared to aim a subtle criticism at the club’s hierarchy after Spurs suffered a dramatic 3–2 defeat to Bournemouth on Wednesday evening.
Spurs struck first at the Vitality Stadium through Mathys Tel, but Evanilson quickly drew Bournemouth level. Eli Junior Kroupi then put the hosts ahead before Joao Palhinha restored parity in the 78th minute. However, deep into stoppage time, Antoine Semenyo — widely expected to be making his final appearance for the Cherries — unleashed a stunning long-range strike to seal the win.
The defeat was Tottenham’s eighth league loss of the season, leaving Thomas Frank’s side languishing in 14th place after 21 matches and increasing the pressure on the head coach. Frank also sparked controversy after being photographed drinking from an Arsenal-branded cup left at the stadium, later insisting he “definitely did not notice it.”
Following the match, Romero took to Instagram to apologise to supporters while seemingly criticising the club’s leadership. In a post shared by Fabrizio Romano, the Argentine wrote, “They only appear when things are going well to tell a few lies,” a line he later removed as he refocused the message on unity and resilience.
In his revised statement, Romero said:
“Apologies to every fan who follows us everywhere, who is always there and always will be. We are responsible — without doubt — and I am the first to take that responsibility. But we will keep confronting this situation and doing everything we can to change it, for ourselves and for the club.
“At moments like this, other people should be the ones speaking, but they don’t — as has been the case for years. They only show up when things are going well. We will stay, work hard, stick together and give everything to turn this around.
In difficult times, staying quiet, working harder and moving forward together is part of football. United, everything becomes easier.”
Several teammates publicly backed Romero, with Richarlison posting a clapping emoji and Pedro Porro commenting: “Amen. Keep going, brother. We still have many battles ahead.”
Emotions also ran high after full-time, as centre-back Micky van de Ven had to be restrained by club staff following a heated exchange with supporters in the away end. Porro, too, has shown visible frustration amid Spurs’ ongoing struggles.
Reflecting on the loss, Frank said:
“I hope people can see how hard we worked to push things in the right direction. Overall, the performance was good — especially in the second half — and in a match where we deserved more. It’s extremely painful to experience, so frustration is natural. I’m frustrated as well.”
