Tottenham Hotspur captain Cristian Romero has been charged by the Football Association for allegedly acting in an “improper” manner following his dismissal in Saturday’s 2-1 Premier League defeat to Liverpool.
With Xavi Simons already sent off earlier in the match, Tottenham were reduced to nine men late on when Romero received a second yellow card in the 93rd minute for kicking out at Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konaté. The Argentina international reacted angrily to the decision, delaying his exit from the pitch and engaging in a heated exchange with the referee.
In a statement, the FA said: “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.”
Romero has been given until January 2 to respond to the charge. Tottenham did not immediately comment when approached outside normal business hours.
The sending-off already carries an automatic one-match suspension, meaning Romero will miss Spurs’ away fixture against Crystal Palace on Sunday. Any further sanction would depend on the outcome of the FA’s disciplinary process.
Tottenham’s defeat at Anfield leaves them 14th in the Premier League table on 22 points, 17 adrift of leaders — and north London rivals — Arsenal, underlining a difficult period for Ange Postecoglou’s side.
