Cristian Romero, Tottenham Hotspur's captain, has been handed a one-match suspension and a £50,000 fine for his conduct following his red card against Liverpool on December 20, 2025. The incident occurred in the 93rd minute of the match, which Tottenham lost 2-1.
Romero was initially shown a second yellow card for kicking out at Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate. Following the dismissal, the FA alleged that Romero "acted improperly around the 93rd minute by failing to leave the field of play promptly and/or behaving in a confrontational and/or aggressive manner towards the referee" John Brooks.
The FA formally charged Romero on December 24, 2025, and he had until January 2, 2026, to respond. Romero admitted to the charge. An independent Regulatory Commission imposed the ban and fine after a hearing. The written reasons for the sanctions will be published in due course.
The one-match ban means Romero will miss Tottenham's FA Cup third-round match against Aston Villa on January 10, 2026. He will be available for selection again for the Premier League London derby against West Ham United the following weekend. Romero had already served a one-match suspension for the initial red card, missing the 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace in December. He also missed the 2-1 home defeat to Fulham in November due to accumulation of yellow cards.
Tottenham's manager, Thomas Frank, was critical of the refereeing decisions made during the Liverpool match, particularly the decision to show Romero the first yellow card for dissent. Frank argued that Romero was fouled in the lead-up to Liverpool's second goal and that the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) should have intervened. "There is a massive mistake by John on the pitch," Frank said. "Two hands on the back by Ekitike. I don't understand how he didn't see it. OK, luckily we have VAR so they will bail you out when you need it, which they didn't. That was the second mistake".
This ban adds to a week of scrutiny for Romero, who recently posted a message on Instagram apologizing to fans for Tottenham's results and criticizing unnamed individuals at the club. He wrote, "At times like this, it should be other people coming out to speak, but they don't — as has been happening for several years now. They only show up when things are going well".
