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New York Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Cristian Romero: Tottenham's captain, leader… unlikely poster boy?
It must have been an unfamiliar feeling for Cristian Romero late on Wednesday night in Udine. After the PSG celebrations had died down following the UEFA Super Cup penalty shoot-out, he had to lead his Tottenham team past their victorious opponents, up onto the podium, past Spurs CEO Vinai Venkatesham and along to UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin. Advertisement Romero and the rest of his team got their runners-up medals and had to put a brave face on, walking past the Super Cup trophy, barely even bringing themselves to look at it, standing to the side, applauding politely, watching on as PSG danced around the Stadio Friuli with it. Tottenham had to fly home empty-handed. Unfamiliar for Romero because so much of his career to date has been defined by his success in finals. He is the man who knows how to get things done when it matters most. He is the player who can find a different version of himself on the biggest stage, one where the strengths are unmatchable and the weaknesses do not matter any more. Most importantly of all, he is the leader whose winning energy, winning nous, winning habit, he was able to transmit to the rest of his team. That has been the story of the big moments of Romero's career in recent years. From the Copa America final in 2021, when Romero, just one month into his senior international career, playing through injury, helped Argentina to a 1-0 win over Brazil in the Maracana in Rio de Janeiro. That was the tournament that marked Romero out for the first time as a special player, not least to Lionel Messi. It was also the tournament that laid the foundations for what happened in Qatar at the end of the following year. There, Romero helped Argentina to their first World Cup since 1986, hand-holding more experienced players, providing the cool foil for Nicolas Otamendi, building the platform for Messi to make history. So it was no surprise, another 18 months after that, when Romero went out and did it again. The 2024 Copa America final was a slog, but Argentina eventually beat Colombia 1-0 in extra time in Miami to retain the trophy. Romero had three major international trophies in three attempts over four years. Advertisement All of which meant that when Tottenham got to the Europa League final in May, it was Romero who had more helpful experience to bring than anyone else. And with Son Heung-min not fit enough to start, Romero had to take the lead. It was Romero, more than anyone, who set the tone among the players in the build-up to the game, as the mood shifted from relaxation to ruthless focus. It was Romero who talked his team through the game itself, from the famous pre-game huddle in the United half all the way through to added time at the end. They could never have won that game without him, and he was rightly handed the Player of the Match award. It felt like Spurs fans were finally seeing Argentina Romero, mentality monster Romero, winning Romero, in white for the first time. It felt like a revelation. Although it had become the consensus online that Romero had previously won every final he had ever played in, that was never quite true. In the 2021 Coppa Italia final, Romero's penultimate game for Atalanta before joining Spurs and the first final of his senior career, he lost to a Juventus side with Dejan Kulusevski and Cristiano Ronaldo up front. But Romero's record in these games, and his immeasurable contribution to Bilbao, meant that it was inevitable that he would get given the Tottenham armband this summer. Given his leadership role within the group, the respect he enjoys from his team-mates, and the lack of other experienced first-choice players, it could only really have been Romero. Romero is also the closest thing Tottenham have to a global superstar. They are in a new situation right now, with Son having left for MLS. The era of him and Harry Kane, and before them Gareth Bale, suddenly feels very far away. And Spurs will not be able to directly replace Son's name recognition, commercial reach or global appeal. They have no one who will be the global face of Burberry, Tumi and Calvin Klein, as Son was, or with the capacity to fill whole stadiums almost by himself. Advertisement But of the players they do have, Romero is surely the best placed to be the next face of the whole club, their poster boy. By the simplest metric available — Instagram followers — his five million puts him second only to Richarlison, who has a huge personal following of 21.5m. Romero's work with Argentina, shining on the biggest stages of all, give him a reach beyond what he has earned through club football. He has been one of the best non-Messi players in the most successful Argentina team since Diego Maradona. That counts for a lot. Seeing Romero talking in English — not something he does too often on camera — about how much the armband meant to him felt like a significant moment. In the past, Romero's commitment to Tottenham has sometimes felt slightly transient, as if playing for Argentina was more important to him. The fact that he rarely distanced himself from talk of a departure was part of that. But now that he is captain, he has talked about the club with a genuine sense of regard. Whenever Romero has been given more responsibility, he has risen to it. Like when he was captain for the Europa League final in May. Or when he was first made vice-captain by Ange Postecoglou two years ago. And staff immediately saw a change in him, becoming more vocal around the club, starting to demand his team-mates fulfil their share of media and commercial responsibilities around the club (so much of life at a modern football club comes down to which players do these jobs and when, and so a captain not only has to do lots of this stuff himself, but make sure the rest of the team all do their bit). The elephant in the room here is what happens with Romero's future. He has two years left on the contract he signed in 2022. As much as Atletico Madrid were interested, they knew that Spurs did not want to sell, and so they never made a formal bid for Romero. Atletico felt that Spurs were keen to tie Romero to a new deal, and it would only be natural for Spurs to try to convince him to stay for longer. If they do not then they will likely have to sell him next year or risk losing him on a free transfer in 2027. Romero will turn 28 this season and so he must know that if he does sign another long-term deal at Spurs, that may be the end of any interest he had in a move to a Spanish giant. No senior Spurs player has tied his peak years to this club since Son signed his last big deal in the summer of 2021. This will inevitably be part of the background to this season. There will have to be a resolution within the next year. But for this season, Spurs fans will want to see more of this grown-up leader Romero, the Argentina Romero, the winning Romero. He did not get his hands on the trophy in Udine on Wednesday, which will hurt him more than any other Spurs player. He will be more desperate than anyone to lift something else this year. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
The Sun
02-07-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Tottenham announce major change to stadium with iconic landmark from old ground brought back
TOTTENHAM have announced that the 'Bill Nicholson Gates' will be reinstalled in front of their stadium ahead of next season. The gates were a famous feature of White Hart Lane, Spurs' former home, but removed in 2015 when construction work began on the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. 2 2 The gates become synonymous with Nicholson, who guided Spurs to a league and FA Cup double in 1961, following a photograph of the late manager standing between them, taken by Peter Robinson in the 1970s. Fans have been hoping to see the iconic black and gold wrought iron gates brought out of storage, ever since Tottenham moved into their new glitzy home in 2019. But they won't have much longer to wait to see them take their place outside the stadium once again following an update from the club's Fan Advisory Board (FAB) meeting that was held on Tuesday. The gates will be given a new home within Paxton17, close to the ticket office on the Tottenham High Road. The meeting was attended by club representatives, including new chief executive officer Vinai Venkatesham. Work is under way to have the gates in place for Spurs' opening Premier League match of the season at home to Burnley on August 16. As with any new stadium, the club has been trying to underline connections between it and the old home. The gates were one of the most recognisable and distinctive sights at the old ground, outside the car park in front of the main entrance facing the High Road. Chairman Daniel Levy said: 'The Bill Nicholson Gates are such a significant part of our Club's heritage and I am extremely proud they will be returning home this summer. 'We were never going to rush into a decision as to where they should be reinstated, given the huge amount of works that have taken place in the area over recent years. 'We look forward to welcoming fans back to the stadium for the coming season - as well as Bill's family members and former players - to see the gates and feel that close connection between our Club and its rich history.' Another key point from the meeting is that the club and FAB are working together to create a revamped Tottenham Hall of Fame. Venkatesham also took the chance to explain the recent changes and thought process behind choosing Thomas Frank to replace the sacked Ange Postecoglou.
New York Times
25-06-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Tottenham Hotspur and another summer of change at the top. Is there more to come?
It has already been a summer of profound change at Tottenham Hotspur and we are not even yet in July. The Europa League final in Bilbao was only five weeks ago. The man who delivered that, Ange Postecoglou, has already been dismissed. He has been replaced by Thomas Frank, from Brentford, who arrives with the hope that he can build a more robust, consistent Spurs team next season. Advertisement But there has also been a change in the club's executive roles too. Long-standing board member Donna-Maria Cullen announced her departure at the end of the season. Vinai Venkatesham, formerly of Arsenal, has come in as the new chief executive officer. And last week, the club finalised the exit of chief football officer Scott Munn, who is now on gardening leave. In a sense, Munn's departure is no surprise. The Athletic reported in April that Munn's future at the club was in 'severe doubt'. And he has ultimately gone the same way as his compatriot Postecoglou. Churn in these roles is nothing new. Tottenham seem to embark on a new organisational overhaul most summers. Munn's two-year spell at Spurs owes to the last such overhaul, back in 2023. During the 2022-23 season, the club commissioned an external review into all their footballing activities. Daniel Levy was quoted on the club website as saying that this was 'to ensure we apply our values of innovation, drive and excellence'. And it led to the opening of a new role of chief football officer, who would coordinate all football departments. In April 2023, Munn was appointed, officially starting his work in September. After the appointment of Postecoglou, Munn's main work involved a thorough review of the club's football departments. This led to an overhaul, with plenty of staff leaving the club. The work on the medical department remains ongoing, as shown by last season. But the improvement in Spurs' scouting in recent years — as shown by signings like Wilson Odobert, Antonin Kinsky and Lucas Bergvall — suggests that they are better at identifying young signings than they used to be. Munn ruffled some feathers during his two years at Tottenham, but that may be inevitable in a role that requires firing and hiring. Munn's second season at Tottenham ended on a high, with Spurs winning the Europa League final in Bilbao, an achievement that will mark the careers of everyone involved in it. But now there is a new structure at Spurs and they will not be looking for a new chief football officer to replace Munn. The key person in the new structure is Venkatesham, for whom the new job of CEO has been created. Frank, the new head coach, will report into Venkatesham, as will Johan Lange, the technical director, and Rebecca Caplehorn, who oversees football administration and governance. So will Andy Rogers, who is managing director of Tottenham Hotspur Women, and Paul May, in charge of training centre operations. Advertisement In Frank's first interview as Spurs head coach, he talked about the importance of the structure behind the scenes and what they can achieve if everyone works together. 'You can't do anything alone, in my opinion,' Frank said. 'The alignment is key, from top to bottom. Of course, it starts from Daniel (Levy), and Vinai and Johan and me. The more the four of us can be aligned, just like a unit, an unbreakable unit, the stronger we will be.' Venkatesham also spoke of the importance of alignment during a joint interview he did with Levy, published by the club last week. 'I think we're going to form a really powerful partnership,' Venkatesham said of his relationship with Levy. 'I'll be taking more of the lead day-to-day on operational matters on the pitch and off the pitch. But we'll be working on everything together, certainly there won't be any decisions of any significance that happen at the club that we're not completely joined at the hip on.' Venkatesham has only just started at the club but this is already one of the most significant ever changes in how Tottenham are run. His arrival in such a powerful CEO role means a more modern management organisation, rather than Tottenham's distinctive streamlined feel. For years, there has been a hope at Spurs to strengthen the executive side of the club. Venkatesham's arrival marks a meaningful step in that direction. Staff have already been impressed with Venkatesham's openness and transparency behind the scenes, and his willingness to trust and empower colleagues. Even his six-minute video with Levy on YouTube felt like a new step towards open communication for the club, given how little is traditionally heard from Spurs' long-standing chairman. This is already a very different club than it was two cycles ago, back when Fabio Paratici was brought in as managing director of football at the end of the 2020-21 season, with the hope that he could drive up standards around the whole club, as well as taking charge of recruitment. The initial plan was that Paratici would bring Antonio Conte with him, although in reality Conte eventually arrived five months after Spurs first approached him, with Nuno Espirito Santo taking the first 10 league games of the 2021-22 season. Advertisement Even though Paratici was forced to resign from his official role in April 2023, he has never truly gone away. Munn's two years as chief football officer occurred to an extent in Paratici's shadow. Because Paratici has continued to work as a consultant for the club, advising largely on recruitment, while he serves a 30-month ban from official football activity. (The work that he has been doing is consistent with the limited scope of his ban). But Paratici's ban ends next month, meaning that he would, in theory, be allowed to return to the type of work that he did for Spurs between 2021 and 2023. As Paratici reaches the end of his ban, there has been constant speculation as to whether he may be restored to a role like the one he used to occupy at the club. He spoke to Milan about taking on a big new role there this summer but it came to nothing. The question is whether there is space for someone like Paratici, with his unique skills and persona, inside Tottenham's new modern structure. After taking a big step forward, does it still make sense to take another step back? (Top photos: Getty Images)
Daily Mail
23-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Tottenham chief 'placed on gardening leave' as summer shake-up continues after Ange Postecoglou's sacking and Thomas Frank's appointment
Tottenham 's chief football officer has reportedly been placed on gardening leave amid a summer of upheaval at the club. The Europa League champions sacked Ange Postecoglou earlier this month despite the Australian leading Spurs to their first trophy in 17 years in Bilbao. Postecoglou had been dismissed exactly two years to the day he was hired, with Tottenham's board highlighting their dismal domestic campaign as key to their decision. Thomas Frank was named as Postecoglou's successor as head coach, with chairman Daniel Levy and chief executive Vinai Venkatesham speaking publicly on the decision to appoint the former Brentford boss. Venkatesham has officially begun his role this summer with the former Arsenal executive joining a Tottenham board which had lost Daniel Levy's 'right-hand woman' Donna-Maria Cullen, who left the club after 20 years. The summer of change has continued with Football London reporting Tottenham's chief football officer Scott Munn has been placed on gardening leave ahead of his departure. Munn arrived from the City Football Group's Chinese branch in 2023, joining the same year as Postecoglou. He was appointed the Chief Executive Officer of City Football Group in China back in 2019 and had previously worked for nine years with A-League side Melbourne City FC as their Chief Executive Officer. The Australian also had extensive experience working outside of football, starting his career within the Sydney Organising Committee for the 2000 Olympic Games, before moving to work with the National Rugby League and the Australian Football League. The 51-year-old has been a background figure, charged with shaking up and streamlining various departments. He led the review that ended with the exit of long-serving head of medicine Geoff Scott last year, but Tottenham's injuries only worsened last season. Postecoglou had been forced to make do without many of his first team regulars after an unprecedented injury crisis which has particularly hit his defensive line. Munn's name had been notably absent when Frank spoke about Tottenham's structure when spoke for the first time as the new head coach last week, with the Dane referencing Levy, Venkatesham and technical director Johan Lange. 'I had very good conversations and meetings with (Daniel Levy, Vinai Venkatesham, and Johan Lange) where we discussed everything in depth - details about the Club structure, processes - and of course I came with my views on things, how I saw it, my ideas, and the way I want to do things and how I try to build a team and a club,' Frank said. Former managing director of football Fabio Paratici has also been tipped to return to the club 'Of course, it's not just me. I think it's very important to say: yes, the Head Coach is an important person, but if I don't have good people around me, it's impossible. You can't do anything alone, in my opinion. 'If you want to do something quick, you can go alone. If you want to do something big or achieve something big, you go together. So, it's definitely about doing things together - me, the staff, the players. 'I think alignment is key - from top to bottom. Of course it starts from Daniel, Vinai, Johan, and me - and the more the four of us can be aligned, just like a unit, an unbreakable unit, the stronger we'll be.' Former managing director of football Fabio Paratici has also been tipped to return to Tottenham this summer, with his worldwide football ban due to expire on July 20. Paratici had left the club in 2023 after an appeal against a two-and-a-half-year FIFA ban for alleged financial irregularities dating back to his spell at Juventus was rejected. The Italian has helped Tottenham on a consultancy basis, after parts of his ban had been lifted by FIFA. According to the Telegraph, Paratici's consultancy contract will run until the end of the summer transfer window.
The Independent
18-06-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Europa League victory was ‘not enough' to prevent Ange Postecoglou's sacking
Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy explained that the club sacked former manager Ange Postecoglou despite winning the Europa League, because winning in Europe was 'not enough'. Postecoglou was sacked 16 days after Spurs beat Manchester United 1-0 in May to win their first European trophy in 41 year s, due to poor results in the Premier League where they finished 17th. Levy stated that the club's aim is to win the Premier League and Champions League, and the decision to dismiss Postecoglou was unanimous with chief executive Vinai Venkatesham. Levy expressed gratitude to Postecoglou, acknowledging his contributions, but emphasised the need for a change to compete in all competitions. Spurs have replaced Postecoglou with Danish manager Thomas Frank, who Levy praised for his intelligence, communication skills, and technical abilities, as the club prepares for Champions League football next season.
