Roberto De Zerbi on Cristian Romero's Future: A Promise Kept

Roberto De Zerbi has drawn a clear line in the sand over Cristian Romero’s future – and it is one built on a promise.

The Spurs head coach confirmed he will not stand in the defender’s way if Romero decides the time has come for a new challenge, revealing a pact struck in the frantic early days of his tenure in April.

“At the beginning of my time, in April, I had, I don’t know, one million individual meetings,” De Zerbi recalled, as quoted by Metro. Those talks set the tone. Players laid out their ambitions; the new manager laid out his conditions.

His message was blunt. Help keep the club up, and he would not block an exit. Fail, and they would sink together.

“I said: ‘Yes, help me to stay up, and then I help you to leave. If you don’t help me to stay up, you stay underwater with me!’”

Romero, in De Zerbi’s eyes, more than kept his side of the bargain. The Italian was emphatic about the Argentina international’s conduct and commitment.

“Romero with me was unbelievable. Top, in his behaviour, his respect, he suffered when he did not play the last game,” De Zerbi said. He also moved quickly to dismiss suggestions that the centre-back had angled for an early departure to focus on Argentina and the World Cup.

“It is not true that he wanted to leave for Argentina to prepare for their World Cup. It’s not true.”

The relationship, De Zerbi stressed, has been built on honesty rather than persuasion. Even after the high of the semi-final against England, he refused to pick up the phone and plead with Romero to stay.

“After the semi-final [against England] we text a message, but I never called him to convince him to stay. I respected what he told me. Like for [Guglielmo] Vicario, like for every player.”

That principle extends across the squad. De Zerbi will fight for points, not prisoners.

“Romero as a player is one of the best centre-backs in the world, but at the end I said I want to respect the will of the players.”

If Romero now chooses to walk through that open door, it will not be because of a breakdown in trust – but because a promise, made in those “one million” meetings back in April, is being kept.