Cristian Romero (Argentine footballer)

Cristian Romero

Romero with Argentina U20 in 2017
Personal information
Full name	Cristian Gabriel Romero [1]
Date of birth	(1998-04-27) 27 April 1998 (age 25) [2]
Place of birth	Córdoba, Argentina
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) [3]
Position(s)	Centre-back
Team information
Current team	Tottenham Hotspur
Number	17
Youth career
2014–2016	Belgrano
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2016–2018	Belgrano	16	(0)
2018–2019	Genoa	27	(2)
2019–2021	Juventus	0	(0)
2019–2020	→ Genoa (loan)	30	(1)
2020–2021	→ Atalanta (loan)	31	(2)
2021–2022	Atalanta	0	(0)
2021–2022	→ Tottenham Hotspur (loan)	22	(1)
2022–	Tottenham Hotspur	54	(4)
International career‡
2017	Argentina U20	7	(0)
2021–	Argentina	30	(3)
Medal record Men's football Representing   Argentina FIFA World Cup Winner 2022 Qatar Copa América Winner 2021 Brazil CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions Winner 2022 England
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:00, 13 April 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 26 March 2024

Cristian Gabriel "Cuti" Romero (born 27 April 1998) ^[4] is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur and the Argentina national team. He is known for his aggressive play style, ability on the ball, and dominance in aerial duels. ^{[5] [6]}

Coming through the youth system, Romero began his senior career in 2016 at Belgrano. He moved to Italy in 2018, playing for Genoa. Romero was purchased by Juventus the following season; he was sent back on loan to Genoa, before being sent on loan to Atalanta in 2020. After being nominated Serie A Best Defender in 2020–21 with Atalanta, the club exercised the option of purchase before promptly loaning Romero to Tottenham with an obligation to buy. After a successful loan spell, Romero was signed by Tottenham in 2022.

Romero represented Argentina at youth level at the 2017 South American U-20 Championship. He made his senior debut in 2021, and was a key member of the squad that won the 2021 Copa América and the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Club career

Belgrano

Having joined the youth team in 2014, ^[7] Romero was promoted to Argentine Primera División side Belgrano's first team in 2016; ^[8] his debut came on 28 August, in a league match with Independiente. ^[2] A month later, Romero played in both of Belgrano's 2016 Copa Sudamericana round of sixteen ties against Coritiba. ^[2] In two seasons with Belgrano's first-team, he made nineteen appearances in all competitions. ^[2]

Genoa, Juventus and Atalanta

In July 2018, Romero joined Genoa of Serie A. ^[2] Romero scored his first senior goal in his second Genoa match, netting in a 2–2 draw with Udinese on 28 October, a match in which he was later sent off. ^[2] On 9 July 2019 Juventus announced Romero was having a medical ahead of a proposed transfer. ^[9]

On 12 July 2019, Juventus announced the permanent acquisition of Romero from Genoa for €26 million, with the player remaining at his former club on loan for the rest of the season. ^[10]

On 5 September 2020, Romero joined Atalanta on loan until 30 June 2022 with an option to buy. ^[11] He was elected the best defender of the 2020–21 Serie A season. ^[12]

Tottenham Hotspur

On 6 August 2021, Juventus announced that Atalanta had activated the option to sign Romero for €16 million. ^[13] Later that day, Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur announced his signing from Atalanta on an initial season-long loan with an option to make the deal permanent. ^{[12] [14]}

Romero made his debut for the club on 15 August, coming on as a late substitute for Pierre-Emile Højbjerg in a match against Manchester City that Tottenham won 1–0. ^[15] On 19 August 2021, he made his first start in the UEFA Europa Conference League first leg tie against Paços de Ferreira, which ended in a 1–0 defeat. ^[16] Romero scored his first goal for Tottenham Hotspur in a 2–0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion.

On 30 August 2022, he joined Tottenham Hotspur on a permanent deal with a contract lasting until 2027. ^[17]

Ahead of the 2023–24 Premier League season, Romero was named as one of Tottenham’s vice-captains. ^[18] Romero made a strong start to the season, being described by manager Ange Postecoglou as the “rock” in Tottenham’s defence, and earning a nomination for the Player of the Month award in October. ^{[19] [20]} However, on 6 November 2023, Romero was shown a straight red card during Tottenham’s 4–1 loss to rivals Chelsea. ^[21] It was his fourth red card since moving to the Premier League, more than any other player in that time. ^[22] Romero scored on his return from suspension, Tottenham's only goal in a 2–1 loss to West Ham United. ^[23]

International career

Youth

Romero has represented Argentina at U20 level, winning seven caps at the 2017 South American U-20 Championship in Ecuador. ^[2] In April 2017, he was called up for Argentina's training camp ahead of the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup in South Korea but was not selected on the tournament squad list. ^[24] Romero was called up for the U23s in September 2019. ^[25]

Senior

Romero made his debut for the senior national team on 3 June 2021 in a World Cup qualifier against Chile, playing the full match. ^[26] In his following game for Argentina on 8 June, he scored his first international goal, coming from a thumping header against Colombia after only 130 seconds. This goal also broke the record for the fastest ever scored for Argentina in a professional match, surpassing Diego Maradona's goal after 168 seconds against Venezuela in 1985. ^[27]

In June 2021, he was included in Lionel Scaloni's final Argentina 28-man squad for the 2021 Copa América. ^[28] Romero was included in the Team of the Tournament at the conclusion, as Argentina won the competition. ^[29] Romero was also an integral part of the Argentinian team which won the 2022 FIFA World Cup, in which he started in six out of seven matches including the final. ^[30]

Style of play

Romero has been described as a "proactive" defender always playing on the "front foot." This allows him to step up in the backline and make crucial interceptions in midfield. He is well-known for his decision-making in his risky style of play. However, this makes him highly vulnerable to disciplinary issues the few times he does not time a tackle or an interception at the right time. ^[31]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 13 April 2024 ^[2]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			National cup [lower-alpha 1]		League cup [lower-alpha 2]		Continental		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Belgrano	2016–17	Argentine Primera División	13	0	0	0	—		2 [lower-alpha 3]	0	15	0
	2017–18		3	0	1	0	—		0	0	4	0
	Total		16	0	1	0	—		2	0	19	0
Genoa	2018–19	Serie A	27	2	0	0	—		—		27	2
Genoa (loan)	2019–20		30	1	3	0	—		—		33	1
	Total		57	3	3	0	—		—		60	3
Atalanta (loan)	2020–21	Serie A	31	2	4	0	—		7 [lower-alpha 4]	1	42	3
Tottenham Hotspur (loan)	2021–22	Premier League	22	1	2	0	2	0	4 [lower-alpha 5]	0	30	1
Tottenham Hotspur	2022–23		27	0	0	0	0	0	7 [lower-alpha 4]	0	34	0
	2023–24		27	4	1	0	0	0	—		28	4
	Total		76	5	3	0	2	0	11	0	92	5
Career total			180	10	11	0	2	0	20	1	213	11

1. Includes Copa Argentina, Coppa Italia, FA Cup
2. Includes EFL Cup
3. Appearances in Copa Sudamericana
4. Appearances in UEFA Champions League
5. Appearances in UEFA Europa Conference League

International

As of match played 26 March 2024 ^[32]

Appearances and goals by national team and year

National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Argentina	2021	10	1
	2022	9	0
	2023	9	1
	2024	2	1
Total		30	3

Scores and results list Argentina's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Romero goal. ^[32]

List of international goals scored by Cristian Romero

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	8 June 2021	Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez, Barranquilla, Colombia	Colombia	1–0	2–2	2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
2	19 June 2023	Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, Jakarta, Indonesia	Indonesia	2–0	2–0	Friendly
3	22 March 2024	Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, United States	El Salvador	1–0	3–0	Friendly

Honours

Argentina

• FIFA World Cup: 2022 ^[33]
• Copa América: 2021 ^[34]
• CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions: 2022 ^[35]

Individual

• Serie A Best Defender: 2020–21 ^[36]
• Copa América Team of the Tournament: 2021 ^[37]

References

1. "2021/22 Premier League squads confirmed". Premier League. 10 September 2021. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
2. Cristian Romero at Soccerway. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
3. "Cristian Romero". Atalanta B.C. Archived from the original on 19 January 2021.
4. Dawes, Olly (17 December 2022). "Why is Cristian Romero called Cuti? Tottenham star's nickname explained". HITC. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
5. McCambridge, Mark (15 September 2023). "Ranked! The 10 best centre-backs in the world". FourFourTwo. Contributions from Andy Wright, Ed McCambridge, and Ryan Dabbs. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
6. Sage, Caleb (18 April 2023). "Tottenham star 'deserves a bit more respect'". GiveMeSport. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
7. "Cristian Romero: la scheda tecnica". Jmania.it (in Italian). 6 May 2019. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
8. "Cristian Romero firmó su primer contrato". Club Atlético Belgrano. 27 May 2016. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
9. "Cristian Romero begins Juventus medical". Juventus. 9 July 2019. Archived from the original on 9 July 2019. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
10. "Romero, gli accordi con il Genoa". Juventus.com. Archived from the original on 12 July 2019. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
11. "UFFICIALE: Juve, ceduto Romero in prestito biennale con diritto di riscatto all'Atalanta". tuttomercatoweb.com (in Italian). 5 September 2020.
12. "Romero signs from Atalanta". tottenhamhotspur.com. 6 August 2021.
13. Juventus.com. "ESERCIZIO DEL DIRITTO DI OPZIONE PER IL CALCIATORE CRISTIAN ROMERO - Juventus". Juventus.com (in Italian). Retrieved 6 August 2021.
14. "Cristian Romero joins Tottenham Hotspur". atalanta.it. 6 August 2021.
15. Burnton, Simon (15 August 2021). "Tottenham 1-0 Manchester City: Premier League - as it happened". The Guardian.
16. Morgan, Richard (20 August 2021). "Pacos de Ferreira 1-0 Tottenham: Much-changed Spurs lose Europa Conference League play-off first-leg tie". Sky Sports.
17. "Romero completes permanent move". tottenhamhotspur.com. 30 August 2022.
18. Eccleshare, Charlie. "Tottenham's new leadership group: Can they provide what is so badly needed?". The Athletic. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
19. "Romero shortlisted for October's Premier League Player of the Month award". Tottenham Hotspur. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
20. "Tottenham: Ange Postecoglou praises Cristian Romero". BBC Sport. 4 November 2023. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
21. Spiers, Tim. "Cristian Romero's 'red mist' has cost Spurs yet again - he simply has to learn". The Athletic. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
22. Athletic, The. "Romero's red card turned the tide". The Athletic. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
23. "West Ham's Moyes celebrates 'one of the biggest wins'". BBC Sport. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
24. "Lista para la semana que viene". Argentine Football Association. 15 April 2017. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
25. "La Selección Sub 23 jugará ante Bolivia desde las 19, en el estadio de Banfield". AFA. 3 September 2019. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
26. "Argentina v Chile game report". ESPN. 3 June 2021.
27. "Πέρασε τον Μαραντόνα και… έγραψε ιστορία ο Ρομέρο!" [Romero surpassed Maradona... and made history!]. www.sport-fm.gr (in Greek). 9 June 2021. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
28. "Argentina National Team Squad 2021". Diario AS. 15 June 2021. Archived from the original on 29 June 2021. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
29. "Uno por uno, el equipo ideal de la CONMEBOL Copa América 2021 elegido por el GET". Copa América (in Spanish). 13 July 2021. Archived from the original on 14 July 2021. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
30. "'I watch it every day!' - Tottenham defender Romero admits he's still not over Argentina's World Cup final win over France". Goal.com. 5 February 2023.
31. "Cristian Romero: Total Player Report". The Tactical Times. 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
32. "Cristian Romero". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
33. Murray, Scott (18 December 2022). "Argentina beat France on penalties after thrilling World Cup final – live reaction". the Guardian. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
34. Graham, Bryan Armen (11 July 2021). "Argentina 1-0 Brazil: Copa América final – live!". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
35. "Italy 0–3 Argentina: Messi and Di Maria shine in impressive Finalissima win". BBC Sport. 1 June 2022. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
36. "The MVPs of the 2020/2021 Season: Cristian Romero Best Defender". Serie A. 31 May 2021. Archived from the original on 3 June 2021. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
37. "Uno por uno, el equipo ideal de la CONMEBOL Copa América 2021 elegido por el GET". Copa América (in Spanish). 13 July 2021. Archived from the original on 14 July 2021. Retrieved 13 July 2021.

External links

• Profile at the Tottenham Hotspur F.C. website
• Cristian Romero at Premier League
• Cristian Romero at ESPN FC
• Cristian Romero at FootballDatabase.eu
• Cristian Romero at National-Football-Teams.com
• Cristian Romero at Soccerbase
• Cristian Romero at Soccerway
• Cristian Romero at WorldFootball.net