One player left the team and was in Argentina. Another worried about his knee but said, "We must do it." The internal atmosphere at Tottenham Hotspur, facing relegation, is sharply divided.
British outlets Daily Mail and BeSoccer each focused on the contrasting actions of Tottenham captain Cristian Romero and James Maddison on May 21–22 (KST).
Tottenham will play Everton in the final match of the 2025-2026 Premier League season on the 25th. Currently, if Tottenham adds just 1 point, their chances of staying up are effectively very high. However, if they lose, depending on West Ham's result, there remains a shocking possibility of relegation. They face the prospect of dropping to the second division for the first time since 1977.
In this situation, captain Romero was not in London. Romero is currently in Argentina to support Belgrano, his hometown team where he spent his childhood, in the championship playoff final.
He recently even posted a photo on his social media of him boarding a private plane with his family. When Belgrano secured their place in the final against River Plate, he left a congratulatory message himself.
Belgrano president Luis Artime said, "Romero is expected to watch the final with the official delegation."
Of course, Romero has his reasons. He suffered a knee ligament injury in last month's match against Sunderland and was ruled out for the season. He is currently rehabilitating and focusing on recovering his fitness to play in the CONCACAF-NORCECA World Cup held next month.
In fact, he was a member of the 2022 Qatar World Cup–winning team. He is also a key defender for the Argentina national team under coach Lionel Scaloni.
But eyes are cold. The captain, wearing the armband, left the team just before the season's final survival match while Tottenham is struggling in a relegation fight.
In particular, Romero did not appear at the stadium when they lost to Chelsea. Tottenham lost that match 1-2, postponing the confirmation of their survival to the next game.
By contrast, Maddison is showing a completely different attitude. Maddison suffered a major injury last August, tearing his anterior cruciate ligament. He has recently returned but still has restrictions on his playing time.
Even so, he was the first to talk about responsibility after the Chelsea match ended. Maddison said, "This is not a matter of choice. We must stay up," and said, "We have to give everything for this club, the emblem and the fans."
He added, "That Tottenham is in this position is an embarrassing reality," and acknowledged, "But this is the current situation. Ultimately, getting out of it is our responsibility."
His physical condition is also not perfect. He explained, "Anyone who has experienced this injury knows it isn't easy to return. If I overdo it and something goes wrong, it could be catastrophic for my career."
Still, he emphasized, "I want to help the team within the possible limits."
Manager Roberto De Zerbi also said he plans to limit Maddison's playing time to about 20–25 minutes.
The current atmosphere at Tottenham is strangely divided.
Captain Romero is in Argentina looking toward the World Cup and his future. Meanwhile, Maddison, who returned from a major injury, says he will play for Tottenham despite his limited condition.
Tottenham's fate now rests on the final 90 minutes. However, at the tail end of the club's worst season, the emotions fans feel clearly differ from player to player.
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