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Cristian Romero admits hair-pull on Marc Cucurella was act of ‘revenge’.
Cristian Romero, a defender for Tottenham, has expressed remorse for pulling Marc Cucurella’s hair in retaliation during a 2-2 draw with Chelsea earlier this season.
In an intense London derby that took place in August, Harry Kane scored an equalizer in the 96th minute to earn the visitors a point at Stamford Bridge.
Kane’s late goal was preceded by Romero’s altercation with Cucurella. When getting ready to attack a corner, the Argentina player pulled the Spaniard’s long, flowing locks somewhat roughly, and the VAR reviewed the judgment for violent conduct.
Nevertheless, he was found not guilty, and Tottenham went on to score from the ensuing corner. Later, VAR operator Mike Dean acknowledged that he ought to have directed the referee to the monitor so that he could review the situation.
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Speaking to The Times, Romero admitted that he wanted to exact ‘revenge’ on Cucurella after he left one in on his leg earlier in the match, but ultimately apologised for the hair-pull.
“That was all a bit exaggerated,” Romero said. “There was a bit of revenge because he’d injured me and I kept playing even though it was getting worse and I reacted badly.
“Of course I shouldn’t have reacted like that and I apologise for what happened. But it’s the first time I’ve been involved in something like that. I hope it doesn’t happen again.”
Romero would subsequently miss Spurs’ next three games through injury.
He has made 17 appearances in all competitions at club level this season either side of playing a starring role in Argentina’s 2022 FIFA World Cup victory in Qatar.