Image Credits: Imago Images
Tottenham Hotspur captain Cristian Romero has been officially sanctioned by the Football Association following his controversial dismissal during the Premier League clash against Liverpool on December 20, 2025.
The Argentine defender was shown two yellow cards in the dramatic 2-1 home defeat, which left Spurs finishing the match with just nine men. Romero’s first booking came for dissent after he furiously protested that he’d been pushed by Hugo Ekitike during Liverpool’s second goal. His evening went from bad to worse when he received a second yellow card in stoppage time for kicking out at Ibrahima Konate as Tottenham desperately chased an equalizer.
But it wasn’t just the red card that landed Romero in hot water. The 27-year-old’s reaction to being sent off prompted the FA to launch an investigation, with the governing body alleging that Romero failed to leave the pitch promptly and behaved aggressively towards referee John Brooks.
Following a hearing before an independent Regulatory Commission, the FA has now delivered its verdict. In an official statement released this week, the governing body confirmed:
“Cristian Romero has been sanctioned in relation to the Premier League fixture between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool on Saturday 20 December 2025. It was alleged that he 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. The defender subsequently admitted the charge, and an independent Regulatory Commission has now imposed a one-match suspension and £50,000 fine after a hearing. The Regulatory Commission’s written reasons for these sanctions will be published in due course.”
Romero has now been handed an additional one-match suspension on top of the automatic ban he served for the red card itself, meaning he will miss Tottenham’s upcoming fixture against Aston Villa in the FA Cup this weekend. The World Cup winner admitted the charge, which likely helped avoid an even lengthier ban.
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— FA Spokesperson (@FAspokesperson) January 9, 2026
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