Cristian Romero’s Tears Weren’t For Tottenham Believes Ex-Spurs Star | OneFootball

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Former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Danny Murphy has suggested that the tears shed by Cristian Romero during the club’s 1-0 defeat at Sunderland were born out of a fear of missing the World Cup rather than his concern for the plight of Spurs.

Tottenham occupy 18th position in the Premier League table and sit two points behind West Ham United, who appear to have momentum and real togetherness, having suffered a dismal run of form in 2026 that has seen them pick up only a solitary point from a possible 24.

One former winger has already dubbed the current squad ‘fragile’ following their latest collapse, while concerns have also been raised regarding the mental implications of the relegation fight currently facing the team.

The Lilywhites were condemned to their 16th league defeat of the season following a 1-0 loss to Sunderland at the Stadium of Light, a fixture in which Romero was forced off with an injury during the closing stages.

Murphy suggests that the emotional reaction from the defender was driven by self-interest regarding his international career rather than the immediate result of the match.

He argued that a player can instinctively sense when an injury is severe enough to cause a lengthy absence, leading him to conclude that the Argentine was mourning the potential loss of his place at the World Cup.

While the former Spurs star clarified that he is not questioning the commitment of the player to the club, he maintains that the tears were a response to personal heartbreak rather than Tottenham’s loss.

South American players at Tottenham

Murphy said on talkSPORT (7:15): “I think his tears were probably because he thinks he’ll miss the World Cup.

“I know that sounds a bit cynical.

“Why are you crying if you have just got a knock?

“It did look a naughty one. I think he thinks he’s done his knee.

“You know as a player when you have got a bad one and I think the tears were ‘I am going to miss the World Cup’.

“I am not saying he does not care about Tottenham, but what I mean is that that was not, ‘oh, I am leaving the pitch and we are losing’.”

Tottenham could face a precarious future and presenters such as Adrian Durham believe that the threat of dropping into the Championship is now very real, an outcome that figures like Richard Keys have also come round to accepting.

The north London club have spent only one campaign outside the top flight since 1950, a period which saw them secure promotion back from Division Two by finishing third in the 1977/78 season.

Preserving that top-flight heritage is now the primary objective for Roberto De Zerbi as he seeks to guide his players away from the threat of a historic relegation, with a home match against Brighton & Hove Albion on 18th April and a trip to Wolves on 25th April providing the next opportunities to climb out of the bottom three.